Rocking the Vampire
by Demonyca
Summary: Elena is the lead singer in a rock band. Damon is hurting because of Katherine's betrayal. They meet and sparks fly. But Elena's not quite what she seems. AU Smut, Lemons etc.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okie, this was begging to be written. It's not going to be too long (I think – every time I say that it seems to bite me in the butt LOL), it's smutty and, hopefully, really hawt. The idea was inspired by my new favorite band, Halestorm. I'm a rock girl, through and through and Halestorm is just the bomb. The song in this chappie is a Halestorm special. **

**A/N2: I don't own TVD or any of the characters or the songs. I'm just having a bit of fun with them :D**

* * *

><p>She could hear the screams of the audience and drew in a deep breath. She loved this. She loved being on stage. She loved singing her heart out as the audience screamed their approval. She loved knowing that every male in the audience wanted her. It was empowering and so hot.<p>

Elena Gilbert adjusted her jacket, plastered her sexiest smile on her face and winked at the rest of the band.

"Ready to rock it?" she asked, her sultry voice like a caress to every man present. Their drummer and her brother, Jeremy, grinned at her.

"Let's kill it," he said, twirling the sticks in his hands. He was so glad he had agreed to his sister's proposal last year. They had been playing together for a while but when she came to him and suggested they started up a real band, he had been powerless to resist. After all, life could get so damn boring when you lived for so long. Sure, their father would probably have an apoplectic fit when he found out, but that's what made it even more fun. Thank the stars that their father was not one to watch television, or they'd both be dead. Well, definitely grounded for the next century or so. He snickered at the thought. The last time they had been grounded by their father, his royal highness, the King of the Seelie court, things hadn't worked out so well. Ah, such fond memories.

He looked at his sister affectionately and she responded with a grin and a wink. With her amazing voice and his talents, he had been convinced they would rock. Sure, being fae helped but still. The fae were just like humans in that respect. Some couldn't carry a tune to save their lives while others were born to make men beg for more and his sister was just like that. Damn, if the ew-ness factor of her being his sister hadn't played a part he was sure that her voice could make him come. Even with the libertine ways of his people, he drew the line at banging his sister. Luckily they were on the same page when it came to that, no matter what their father wanted.

Their problem had arisen when they had to complete their band. They couldn't have a band with just two people in it. So, the search had started. It had taken a while to find Tyler, Caroline and Bonnie, but it had been worth it. Tyler could play a bass guitar like no other and with Bonnie and Caroline on guitar they were basically unstoppable. It didn't hurt that Caroline was a vampire, Tyler a werewolf and Bonnie a witch. It made it easier on all of them that they could be free and open when they were around each other.

He and Elena didn't have to hide behind glamour to stop their skin glowing or their eyes flashing what humans would consider weird colors. Bonnie didn't have to hide her powers and both Caroline and Tyler didn't have to hide their natures. And it sure as hell made for some fun rehearsals and nights out on the town. He grinned just thinking about the crap they got up to some nights.

"Fuck yeah!" Tyler exclaimed, grinning widely. He didn't know what he would do without his band. They were his family now and they were much closer than his own family had been. They looked after each other and, what was more important, they loved him for what he was. He didn't have to hide. He was just like them. For once, he wasn't an outcast and because of that he'd do anything for Lena and Jer. They had made life worth living. They had made it amazing.

"You bet your ass, baby. Let's rock this joint," Caroline exclaimed gleefully as she adjusted her short leather skirt, making sure that she didn't show off too much. Tyler had given her a dirty look earlier and complained that she was showing too much skin but she had just laughed it off. Sometimes she wished she knew what he wanted from her. One moment he was acting like her older brother and the next he was behaving like a jealous boyfriend. The vampire in her rebelled at his trying to control her but the woman in her wanted him to finally take the final step and slam her against a wall and have his way with her. Unfortunately, he had this stupid idea that Lena would object so he kept his distance.

She, Bonnie and Elena had become best friends and she knew Elena would be happy for her. But Tyler was too hung up on the fact that he wasn't being shunned and was afraid of losing it all, so he kept his distance. She really had to talk to Lena for some advice. After all, the fae had a lot more experience than she did when it came to men. Caroline had only been turned a few years before and she still had a lot of learning to do.

She couldn't complain. She had to thank Stefan because if it hadn't been for him, she would be dead in a ditch somewhere. And while Stefan helped her learn how to control her urges and what it meant to be a vampire, she couldn't possibly talk to him about man problems. The very thought had her cringing in disgust. The thought of Stefan made her slightly melancholy. She hadn't seen him in ages. She was convinced he'd like Lena but ever since the trouble with his brother and Klaus he had disappeared, with a single promise to come back and see her as soon as he could.

"Damn right," Bonnie said with a smile in response to Caroline's exclamation. Just like the other three that Lena and Jer had adopted, Bonnie loved the siblings more than she could express in words. They had made her feel welcome and showed her that her powers were nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to keep hidden when she was around them. She actually felt normal when compared to the siblings. Hell, she could work magic but those two? They were magic incarnate. The stuff Elena and Jeremy could do with a flick of a hand or a thought surpassed the power she could channel by a mile.

And it felt good. It felt amazing to not be the odd one out for once. And she couldn't be more grateful to Lena for giving her a family. She glanced at Jer quickly, her eyes betraying her feelings for him. Unfortunately, they were feelings she'd never act on because he simply was way out of her league. He was fricking royalty and she was just some pathetic little witch. She sighed inwardly.

Elena looked at her friends and smiled. It was the first time in more than a thousand years that she was really happy. She and Jer had always been close and always would be but it was amazing having friends who, for once, stood by her side for her and not for what she was or what she could give them. To them, she was just Lena and not the next in line to inherit the Seelie throne. They didn't care that she was royalty or that she held more power in her pinky than all of them put together. No, they cared about her because she loved them for who they were. Together, they had a purpose and together they were a family. A real family.

"Ladies and gentleman," she heard the announcer, "the moment you've all been waiting for!" Elena's muscles tensed as she prepared to run out on stage. "It's the one, the only, the unforgettable SUPERNATURAL STORM!" the announcer screamed and Elena felt herself change. She felt her skin buzzing, her heart beat in excitement and her stomach do little flips. She lived for these moments.

She looked back towards her band with a grin and ran out on stage. The response was overwhelming. The entire stadium was screaming, the excitement almost palpable and Elena took a bow. "Hello, New York!" Elena shouted into the mike as soon as the noise quieted down a little. The crowd screamed. "Since you all know we love you, how about we get this damn show on the road?" she asked the crowd with a wink.

They chanted the name of their band until the first chords of Caroline's guitar could be heard. They never had a set playlist beforehand. It was a game. One of them would start playing a song and the rest of them would just fall in line. It almost gave their manager a heart attack at every concert. Thankfully, Elijah was a vampire and it would take a hell of a lot more to kill him.

Elena allowed herself to fall into the opening lines of "Familiar Taste of Poison." It was one of her favorite songs.

* * *

><p>"What the hell are we doing here?" Damon grumbled for the fiftieth time. He really wanted to know how he had let Rose and Stefan rope him into going to this concert. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be draining some sorority girl dry and drinking up a storm. That's what people did when they found out that the woman they had loved for 145 years couldn't give a crap about their existence.<p>

"Because you are turning into a psychotic recluse and it's fucking annoying," Rose griped at him. She had always been a good friend but that didn't mean that Damon didn't want to rip her throat out. Why wouldn't she just let him brood?

Apparently he was more transparent than he thought because she replied with a "Because I like living in Mystic Falls and the trail of bodies is soon going to make it hard to hang around." She glared at him and he sulked. Damon Salvatore did not sulk. Well, he did. Especially after Katherine had told him she only wanted his brother and he was just collateral damage. He glared at his brother.

"Don't give me that look," his brother, the bunny eater growled at him. "I told you about that bitch but you wouldn't listen. Now, you promised to be nice." At Damon's smile that flashed his fangs, Stefan said, "Fine, nice for you. For goodness sake! Don't ruin this. Caroline is nice and I don't want to ruin her big night, so could you please stop acting like an idiot for one night."

"I didn't ask you to bring me here," Damon growled. Part of Damon wanted to blame his brother for Katherine but he couldn't. Stefan had loved Katherine just as much as he had but, eventually, he had seen what Damon had refused to. That she was a selfish, manipulative bitch. And while he couldn't tell his heart what to feel, the one thing he did have control over was his relationship with his brother. That was one thing he wouldn't let Katherine control any longer. A century and a half of a fucked up relationship with his brother was enough.

"I know but do you think you could actually try having a bit of fun?" Stefan asked and Damon was seconds away from giving in at his brother's hopeful look. He looked up at the stage with a sigh, shrugging his shoulders in his leather jacket. At least they were in the front row. Maybe he'd try to have a little fun. Just for tonight.

When the band was announced, he looked at Stefan disdainfully. "Supernatural Storm?" he mouthed. How stupid a name for a band was that? They had no idea what they were on about. Stefan shrugged in return and glanced back to the stage. Damon rolled his eyes and was tempted to leave but the awestruck look and the fact that the crowd went wild drew his gaze to the stage.

The band was running on stage and he had the urge to roll his eyes again. This was ridiculous. He shouldn't be here. HE should be back in Mystic Falls, nursing a bourbon and feasting on some innocently stupid co-ed. He turned to Rose to tell her he was getting out of there when the music started.

It was the voice that stopped him in his tracks. It curled around him, finding its way inside him, touching him in places he no longer realized he had, making its way down his body, caressing his cock. He hardened instantly and nearly whimpered from the intensity of the sensation. He snapped his head back towards the stage and his breath caught. Fuck!

_Drink the wine my darling, you said_

_Take your time and consume all of it_

_But the roses were only to drain my inspiration_

_The promises were spoiled before they left your lips and_

_I breathe you in again_

_Just to feel you underneath my skin_

_Holding onto the sweet escape_

_Is always laced with a familiar taste of poison_

Who the hell was that? She was a vision. Long, chocolate tresses caressed the woman's ass as she sang, her brown eyes promising vengeance as the words to the song spilled from her lips. She had a body made for sex, with long legs that had no end encased in a tight pair of leather leggings, stiletto ankle boots on her feet and beautifully shaped breasts hidden by a tank top and leather jacket. Damon was mesmerized.

_I tell myself that you're are no good for me_

_I wish you well but desire never leaves_

_I could fight this to the end_

_But maybe I don't wanna win_

_I breathe you in again_

_Just to feel you underneath my skin_

_Holding onto the sweet escape_

_Is always laced with a familiar taste of poison_

Every note, every word she sang seemed to be connected to his cock. She moved and writhed on stage, singing to the crowd, driving them to a frenzy. Embarrassingly, he was pretty close to shouting his approval with the rest of the pathetic humans present. When she fell to her knees and on one hand, crawling forward towards the edge of the stage as she sang Familiar Taste of Poison he was convinced he would spontaneously combust. She was fucking amazing. And he wanted her. Desperately.

_I don't wanna be saved, I don't wanna be sober_

_I want you on my mind, in my dreams_

_Behind these eyes that I wanna wake up_

_No, not this time_

Lust raged through him and all he could think about was having those luscious lips wrapped around his cock. All he could see was her body writhing as he licked her cunt until she begged for more and screamed in ecstasy as she came on his tongue. All he could envision as she crooned the final notes of the song was her spread out on his bed, her dark hair the perfect contrast to the silver, satin sheets arching her back as he sank into her.

_I breathe you in again_

_Just to feel you underneath my skin_

_Holding onto the sweet escape_

_Is always laced with a familiar taste of poison_

_A familiar taste of poison, a familiar taste of poison_

Then their eyes met and he felt his world being knocked on its side. She didn't shy away. She didn't play games. She held his ice blue gaze fearlessly, a small smile playing on her lips that fueled his lust, turning it into a raging inferno. He'd give anything to know what that smile meant.

* * *

><p>Elena belted out the notes, lost in the song. Every now and then she'd look down at the audience and make eye contact. She knew how important it was to keep them hooked and, luckily for her, all it took was a quick look to get the humans under her spell.<p>

And then her gaze locked with ice blue eyes in the first row and she felt the world tilt on its axis. She studied him as she sang. He was sex on legs, with amazing eyes, a chiseled jaw and lips that were too sinful to be on a man. He had a face that screamed sex and all she could think about was how he would taste. How those lips of his would feel against her own, how they would feel on her sex. Fuck, she thought to herself as she felt her arousal course through her bloodstream, getting horny on stage and eye-fucking with a member of the audience wasn't a good idea. Her gaze slipped to his companions as she crawled across the stage.

Typical, she thought to herself ruefully. He wasn't alone. Why she had expected him to be alone was anyone's guess. The woman with him was clearly interested in him, and even though he paid her little attention, the last thing she needed was complicated. Then her eyes fell on someone else. He was cute, in a "boy-next-door" kind of way and she really needed to let some steam off. It had been ages since she had slept with anyone and, unfortunately, the blue-eyed devil who was still staring at her as if he wanted to fuck her senseless reminded her exactly how long it had been. But she didn't do men who were involved. She tried that once and it didn't end well.

She shook her head, to bring herself back to the moment. She had to get her mind out of the gutter, she needed to finish the damn concert. She looked back at the blue-eyed devil wistfully. Damn, why was life so fucked up and why were the good ones always taken?

* * *

><p>Damon's gaze narrowed. He was suddenly feeling homicidal. He knew it was stupid but she had glanced at Stefan and he was sure that was interest reflected in her eyes. What the fuck was wrong with the world? Why did everyone choose his brother over him?<p>

A part of him knew he was being ridiculous. She was just playing a game. She was a performer. Hell, she probably couldn't even see them thanks to the bright lights. But at the same time, he still wished that sad look she threw him was real.

Oh, no! He wasn't going down this fucking road again. He'd had enough of soft feelings towards women. He'd been fucked over once and it wasn't happening again! She was hot but he didn't need anything more than a good fuck and he could get that from anyone.

As the band bowed to the audience, who was going wild in appreciation, he felt someone tugging on his arm.

"Come on," he whispered. There were definite advantages to being a vampire, including the fact that they didn't have to scream to be heard over the loud crowd.

"What?" Damon hissed back.

"Let's go see Caroline." Damon rolled his eyes but dutifully followed Rose and his brother.

"Do we really have to meet up with Vampire Barbie?" he groaned. Rose elbowed him in the ribs, which was rather painful, considering she was a lot stronger than they were.

"Be nice," she hissed.

"Fine," he snapped. He'd try to be nice, just to avoid another elbow to the ribs.

When they reached to entrance to the backstage area, he rolled his eyes as he watched Stefan fumble.

"Shit, I can't find the backstage passes," Stefan whined. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Compel them already. We don't have all night," he huffed. Stefan gave him a dirty look.

"I'm not doing it," he said belligerently.

"So, what do you suggest? I guess we could all stand here like idiots for the rest of the night."

"I'll do it," Rose spoke up. The last thing she needed was to watch the brothers argue again. It was irritating at the best of times. Being Damon's friend could often be quite complicated.

Moments later, Damon saw Caroline running towards them and enfolding Stefan in a hug. Part of him wished that just once someone would be happy to see him too. It was a thought he quickly squashed.

"Stefan!" he heard her squeal and he winced. Damn, she was loud. "Did you like it? What did you think?" she questioned Stefan expectantly.

"Caroline, you were amazing!" Stefan congratulated her.

"Nah, that's not me. It's Elena. She's the one who's amazing," Caroline breathed, her eyes sparkling when she said the other woman's name. "You just have to meet her! Hang on!" she squealed and was off like a shot before anyone could get a word out.

A second later she was making her way towards them, with the other woman in tow. Damon's breath hitched. At a distance she had been entrancing. Up close she was a wet dream come to life.

"Lena, you have to meet Stefan," he heard Caroline whisper happily.

"The Stefan who turned you?" the woman asked, surprising Damon. So, she knew about vampires. How intriguing. He listened closely for a heartbeat and found one. A very strong one. So, she was human and knew about vampires and didn't seem to have a problem with it. Even more intriguing.

"That's the one," Caroline responded, the excitement in her voice clear. "Stefan, this is Elena Gilbert, my best friend. Lena, this is Stefan Salvatore," Caroline made the introductions as Damon watched from the shadows. He saw her lips curl and eye his brother with a little more than friendly interest and he felt a growl bubble up from his chest.

They shook hands and, for the first time in his life, Damon felt like cutting Stefan's hand off for touching her. What the hell was wrong with him? He didn't do jealous. Even with Katherine he hadn't felt this boiling need to throw her over his shoulder and lock her up somewhere so no one else could see her let alone touch her. He sighed, trying to calm himself. She was clearly interested in Stefan and he had never been one to force himself on a woman.

Stefan was clearly just as taken with her judging by the way he could barely get two words out. He stared at her in awe and Damon felt the urge to bodily remove him. He cleared his throat, in an attempt to distract their attention. He didn't think his brother would appreciate him changing right here, in front of all the humans.

"Oh, this is Damon, my brother," Stefan said, as an afterthought. "Damon, this is Elena, Caroline's friend."

Elena's gaze slipped over him and her eyes widened slightly. As his hand engulfed hers, he felt as if he had been electrocuted from the contact. She looked at him questioningly, her small, pink tongue peeking out to wet her lips. Fuck, she was so hot it took all his strength to prevent himself from begging her to let him touch her.

He only wished he could decipher the look on her face. She was studying him strangely and he felt a bit like a bug under a microscope.

"It's nice to meet you," he said. Elena's mouth was practically hanging open. The second she had realized who Caroline's friends were, her palms had become clammy in anticipation. Maybe she'd get lucky this time and the woman was dating Stefan. Her wish became even more fervent when she felt the lust shoot up her arm from the minimal contact a handshake allowed. Damon, she rolled the name around her tongue and decided it definitely suited the vampire.

"Likewise," she said huskily.

His eyes bored into hers and the blue gaze had her wetter than she remembered being in centuries. But then he opened his mouth and she knew she was done for. His raspy voice stroked her like velvet. She felt her arousal increase and she was hard pressed not to grab hold of him and drag him out of there. What was worse was that she could easily identify the look in his eyes. It was lust. Pure and simple.

"And this is Rose, a really good friend of ours," she heard Stefan finish the introductions. She nodded to the other woman and then her mind registered Stefan's choice of words.

Friend? Could it be that simple? It had better well be because she wanted Damon with a vengeance and she was known for going after what she wanted. She wouldn't get involved if Damon and Rose were together but experience told her that they weren't intimate. They held each other too far apart. And the woman looked at Damon with what appeared to be a look mothers reserved for naughty children. It was definitely not a look she envisioned giving the man.

She knew her face betrayed nothing but inside she was quivering with need. He was perfect. Athletic, with a chest that she just knew would tempt even an angel. Considering the angels she knew, she was definitely keeping him to herself. She stared into his eyes and found herself wanting to run her hands through his silky black locks and watch his eyes darken with passion. She wanted to nip his jaw while fisting his cock and hearing him moan in ecstasy. God, if she kept this up, she was going to come right then and there.

She saw him give her a curious look as he surreptitiously sniffed the air. Fuck! Vampire! She had forgotten. He could smell her arousal and for some strange reason it only spurred her on.

"You were very impressive out there, Elena," he said and the way her name rolled of his tongue had her clenching her thighs.

"Thank you," she said, her voice cracking slightly. She cleared her voice. "We're going to an after party. Would you like to come?" Elena wondered if he would notice the innuendo and it was quite clear that the invitation was more for him than anyone else. At least she hoped it was obvious.

The way his gaze flickered to her lips and his breath caught in his throat, she would wager that she caught her drift.

"We'd love to come, wouldn't we Rose," responded the other brother. She couldn't remember his name and, suddenly, she didn't really like the way he was looking at her. He seemed nice but she really wasn't into his type. She had figured him out the second he had opened his mouth. He was one of the good boys. He never did anything wrong and he always tried to make everyone around him happy. Which probably meant he was a _vanilla_ boy and she had gotten over vanilla a long time ago.

Damon. Now he on the other hand looked like he could do some damage. Some damage she was seriously impatient to experience.

Damon sat at the bar nursing a drink and studied Elena. She flitted from group to group, conversing and laughing with everyone in the room. He watched men look at her with lust in their eyes and women follow her jealously. He had a sudden urge to rip out eyeballs, especially his brother's who was following her like a puppy. She hadn't glanced his way once.

He sighed and took a large gulp from his drink. He'd have to get used to it. Women flocked to his brother. They simply didn't want to deal with him. Oh, he was good for a quick fuck but that's about it. Katherine had made sure to drive that point home. Repeatedly. Well, if that's the way it was going to be, then he had better find someone for tonight. He scanned the room and saw a redhead who was giving him a lusty look. She'd do for tonight. So, he smiled at her and she got the message. She made her way over to him.

"Hi, honey," she breathed. "What are you doing here all alone?"

"Waiting for you," he said with a flirty grin. She giggled. "Want a drink?"

"I'd love one," she said as she leaned forward and brushed her breasts against his arm. Damon gritted his teeth. He wanted to pull away. She made his skin crawl. What the hell was wrong with him? She was a damn fine woman and just his type. Tall, with large breasts and a tight ass. She'd make for a good night. He could fuck her and feed on her. Yet he found his gaze surreptitiously scanning the crowd for another woman. Elena. Where the hell was she? She had disappeared.

Elena watched Damon from the shadows, anger and jealousy boiling up inside her. She couldn't understand her reaction to this man. They'd exchanged ten words at most and she was already feeling extremely possessive. She had the sudden urge to rip the redhead's head off her shoulders. She breathed deeply, trying to get control of herself. If she let go, the woman, Mandy was her name she believed, would find herself in an extraordinary amount of pain. She really couldn't let her power take over her or Jer would kill her.

At that moment, Stefan ambled over to her. She gritted her teeth again. Couldn't he take a hint?

"So, I'd really love to go out for a drink with you sometime," he said, a hopeful look in his eyes. She felt bad but not bad enough to go out with him.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I'm really not interested in you that way," she tried to explain nicely. "If you still want to go out for a drink, then I'm fine with it. But, please understand, you're just not my type." His face fell for a moment but then he was smiling.

"Sure, that would be great. We could all go," he said with a smile. He then looked in the same direction she was staring and comprehension dawned. She was staring at Damon. He smiled even wider. It was time to play a little matchmaker. His brother needed some fun and Elena definitely looked like she could handle him. She might be human, but as far as he could tell, she had spunk and Damon wouldn't stand a chance of steamrollering her.

"You know, he's single," he said and she looked at him in surprise.

"Really?" she asked and he liked the fact that she didn't play games. He had been expecting her to deny that she was studying her brother or at the very least deny she was interested. Apparently it wasn't her style.

"Yeah, but I have to warn you," he whispered, keeping his voice low just in case Damon decided to eavesdrop.

"About what? I already know he's a vampire," she replied.

"No, it's just that he's had a really rough time with women and he's a bit pissed off at all females of the species at the moment," he said. He wouldn't go into details because that was Damon's story to tell. At the same time he didn't want to see Elena getting hurt.

"Good thing I'm a different species, then, isn't it?" she said under her breath and Stefan stared at her in surprise.

"Excuse me?" he practically choked out. "I can hear your heartbeat so I know you aren't a vampire. Are you a werewolf or a witch?" he questioned her.

"Is this an interrogation?" her face hardened and her voice came out clipped.

"No, I'm really sorry. It's just that I'm really curious. We had no idea werewolves existed until last year so I'm a bit surprised to meet another supernatural. I just thought you were human," he responded, his face contrite.

Elena sighed. She really shouldn't have snapped at him like that but she hated being questioned. It reminded her too much of her father. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so angry. Let's just say I'm other."

"Other? So, not a witch and not a werewolf. What are you?"

Elena studied him, wondering whether she should tell him or not. Well, she guessed telling him her species wouldn't hurt. He clearly knew little of their world so he was unlikely to find out who she was.

"I'm fae," she replied at which Stefan's brows rose practically into his hairline.

"Fae? I never knew that the fae were real," he whispered in awe, remembering everything he had ever read about the mythical beings.

"Yup, we're as real as vampires," she said with a wink. Stefan decided then and there that Elena was perfect for Damon. His knowledge of the fae was limited but he did know they were supposed to be extremely powerful. And immortal. And that meant that she could easily handle his brother, even if he went all psycho on her. "I can handle anything," she said to him and his eyes widened.

"You can read my mind?" he asked.

"Not exactly. I can pick up on some thoughts if I'm in close proximity to someone and they are broadcasting loudly. In fact, you're practically screaming mentally. You need to work on that because it can be extremely annoying," she explained.

"Sorry, I didn't realize."

"Don't worry. So, about your brother. Isn't he with that woman you introduced me to earlier?" she questioned.

"No, she's just a really good friend."

"That's good. Very good," she said with a wicked grin. "Then I'm going to have to excuse myself. I have a vampire to seduce." Stefan had no doubt that if anyone could get Katherine out of Damon's heart it was this woman. Yup, definitely, he thought to himself as we watched her walk away, her hips swinging seductively.

Elena sauntered up to the bar and positioned herself behind Mandy. Damon had turned slightly to speak to the bartender and had clearly not noticed her presence.

"Mandy, you wanna go see if Jer needs another drink?" Elena asked with a tap to the woman's shoulder. The redhead was a groupie and she basically followed them everywhere. Mandy turned to her and she could see that the woman didn't want to leave her companion but the steely look on Elena's face made her rethink her priorities.

"Sure," she whispered and disappeared into the crowd. Elena moved forward, taking her place.

"Is that drink for me?" she asked and Damon whirled around, his eyes widening. "Because I really don't do colorful drinks. I'd rather have a bourbon."

"Where's Mandy?" he asked, though he really couldn't care less. It was the only thing he could think to say though.

"She had something to take care of. But I can call her back if you prefer her company."

"No, no, definitely not," Damon gulped. She was standing so close to him that if he turned just right he could touch her. He breathed in her scent and lust slammed into him full force. She smelled exotic, a combination of vanilla and some other scent that he couldn't identify but was uniquely hers. Nothing artificial, all natural and it was driving him nuts.

"So, you going to get me a drink or should I go?" she asked, staring at him. Damon swallowed. His charm had deserted him. Hell, his neurons had deserted him and he was acting like a moron. He swallowed again, turning to order her a drink.

When he handed her the glass, her fingers slipped over his and he felt a jolt of raw need rush through him. Fuck, if a brush of her fingers could get him into this state, then they were going to burn up the sheets. She winked at him, a seductive smile curling her lips. She lifted the glass to her lips and drank the burning liquid down. Watching her throat work as she swallowed almost pulled a groan from Damon. All he could imagine was her throat working as she swallowed him down. His cock was threatening to go on strike if he didn't do something about it soon.

"I'd really, really like to do that," she purred to him and Damon's mind drew a blank. Do what? God, he didn't say that out loud, did he? No, he was pretty sure he hadn't. "Let's just say I'm different," she said.

Elena was having a hard time blocking out all the erotic images Damon was broadcasting. To be perfectly honest, she didn't want to. They were such a turn on that she was close to jumping him right there, in front of everyone.

"You can read my mind?" Damon growled, not sure that he liked the invasion. When she shook her head, he relaxed slightly. His head was so messed up that he didn't want to scare her. He didn't want her to see him as the pathetic fool he really was. The moron who would have done anything for a woman who turned out to be a bitch.

"No, it's not like that. I can pick up images and thoughts if you're broadcasting loudly enough. And you are," she said with a slight wave of her hand. Her jacket was starting to feel too heavy and constricting. All she wanted to do was rip her clothes off and then his and get up close and personal. Very personal.

Damon looked at her stunned. So, she wasn't human. But he had never heard of a witch who could pick up people's thoughts. "So, what are you?" Elena's patience was wearing thin. She really didn't want to talk right now. Her libido was in over-drive and being so close to him didn't help.

"Do you want to discuss my pedigree right now or would you rather get out of here?" she asked him huskily. After being around for so long, she didn't play stupid games anymore. There was no point in dancing around the issue. She wanted him. He wanted her. That's all that mattered.

Damon was standing before his mind caught up to what his body was doing. He grabbed her hand and dragged her behind him, fully conscious that he was acting like a caveman but he couldn't help himself. He physically needed her. If he didn't have her soon, he was going to fucking explode.

He crashed through the door of the club into an empty hallway. He turned around and pushed her against the wall, his body flush against hers. He needed to taste her, he couldn't wait any longer. He stared down into her eyes, his nostrils flaring. Then her lips parted slightly in invitation and the last threads of his control snapped as he crushed his lips against hers.

They both moaned at the contact, their tongues entwining, desperate to taste each other, to discover each other's secrets. He fisted her hair in one hand, holding her still as he devoured her mouth, the other hand dropping to her ass and pulling her close.

Elena's hands came up and grabbed hold of his silky locks to pull him closer. She wanted to rub herself against him, wanted him to spread his scent all over her. Fuck, it was like kissing electricity, every brush off his tongue causing little shocks all over her body. Her clit throbbed as it swelled in anticipation, in need. She lifted a leg and wrapped it around his waist, needing some friction to ease the tension that made her feel like climbing up a wall.

They both moaned at the contact. Then someone opened the door to the club and they quickly pulled apart, both panting. They stared at each other, both unable to move, to look away. Elena was the first to move, grabbing his hand and virtually running down the corridor, heading towards the back entrance of the club. She slammed the door open and saw that it was pouring outside.

She didn't give a shit. She needed him now and a little rain wasn't going to stop her. She dragged him outside and they were both instantly soaked. They were in the back alley, behind the club. It was deserted and dark. And she could provide them with enough glamour to make people ignore their presence and their activities. Not that she cared who saw them. She was too far gone to care.

They stopped for a moment and simply stared at each other, water pouring over them, the odd flash of lightening illuminating their faces for a few moments. Then thunder clapped loudly and jerked them out of their trance, Damon grabbing Elena's hair in one fist and pulling her hard against him. She moaned at the contact.

Damon couldn't believe what they were doing. It was so primal and so deliciously sinful. He had never felt so wild in his life, and he had done some pretty serious shit. It wasn't the first time he would fuck in a back alley but it was the first time he had ever been so desperate. And the fact that she met him kiss for kiss, touch for touch, growl for growl only made him wilder. Fuck, she was beautiful in the rain. She was just like the storm. Beautiful yet dangerous, a force of nature in her own right. He didn't know what it was about her that drove him to distraction.

His free hand slipped under her shirt, needing to feel her skin. It was so soft and silky that he shuddered. When he brushed a thumb over her nipple they both groaned, she at the electric shocks rushing through her system and he at finding she wasn't wearing a bra. Fuck, she was so damn responsive.

"Can't wait. Fuck me now," she rasped and he nearly came in his pants like an untried virgin. She grabbed at his belt, trying to pull it open. He slapped her hands away and proceeded to undo his pants as she worked on her own. He was faster than she was. He grabbed hold of her, turning her to face the wall and she leaned forward to brace against it as he roughly pulled her pants down, over her hips, down to her knees.

He ran his fingers through her folds and moaned at how wet she was. She whimpered at the contact, writhing, pushing back, begging him for more. He brought his fingers up, smelling her. Fuck, she smelled amazing. Then he licked his fingers and his eyes practically rolled into the back of his head. Ambrosia. That's the only way he could describe her taste.

"You taste fucking amazing," he ground out and she moaned again.

"Will you fucking get your cock inside me?" she panted. He grabbed hold of his dick and slammed into her, filling her in one powerful thrust that caused them both to cry out. Fucking hell, she felt amazing. Hot velvet that clamped down on him like a vice. She was damn strong and it felt incredible.

Elena scratched at the wall, leaving deep gouges. God, the man had a cock made to make women scream. He was big and it felt so damn good inside her, she didn't think she ever wanted to let him go. And then he started moving and she almost whimpered in protest when he moved out of her. But then he slammed himself back into her and she screamed as he touched that spot deep inside her that made her toes curl.

Soon he was pummeling into her as she cried out her delight with every thrust, his hands tightening on her hips almost to the point of pain and she wanted more. She wanted all of him. Everything he could give. She was standing on her tiptoes, trying to get more of him inside her, needing to feel him as deep as he could possibly go.

Damon wrapped a hand in her hair, which he suddenly realized he might be slightly obsessed with and pulled, bringing her up against him. "You are so fucking hot," he growled in her ear. "You're creaming all over me and I want to eat you up. I want to hear you scream my name over and over. You drive me fucking insane." Elena moaned at his words. He was being so crude and it was so damn sexy she was convinced she could come just listening to him talk. He let her fall forward against the wall and slipped a hand between her legs, his fingers finding her clit and he proceeded to play her like a musical instrument.

In moments she was screaming through a mind-numbing orgasm that shook her to her very soul. Blinding white light shot through her, electricity zinged through her system and she couldn't stop fucking coming.

"Fuck, your squeezing my cock so hard, I'm going to explode," Damon ground out. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. His blood was roaring in his ears and he knew he was on the edge of something monumental. Something he had never experienced in his life before.

"Don't stop. I'm still coming. I can't stop coming," she whimpered and it drove him harder and faster until his body gave in, no longer able to withstand the intensity of their encounter. His balls drew up and he felt his release explode through him until he was shooting seed inside her. It was like liquid fire running through his veins and down his cock. He trembled, his vision blurred and he roared, needing to let the pressure escape somewhere.

"I think you killed me," she whispered and he smirked. "You can kill me any time you like," she said as she leaned against the wall for support and he leaned against her, his cock still buried in her warmth. That pulled a laugh from him.

"Baby, _you_ can kill _me_ any time you like," he whispered, planting a soft kiss on the nape of her neck.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The way I'm seeing this is that Delena will have a purely sexual relationship at first. Damon's still trying to get over Katherine and Elena doesn't trust anyone, because of her position, but, of course, they are going to fall in love. Duh! If you like the idea and the story, there's prolly going to be some plot that will work its way in there because…. Well, because that's just how my mind works. Why keep something simple, when it can be complicated, right?**

**So, do I go on or not?**


	2. Chapter 2

Damon opened his eyes and warily looked around the room, trying to get his blurred vision to focus. He looked to his side and the sight of chocolate tresses made his heart jump for a moment. But then the illusion was shattered when the person in bed with him turned her head and looked at him.

"Mmmm, that was nice," she said softly. Damon gritted his teeth.

"Leave," he said without any other introduction. Her eyes widened.

"Excuse me?"

"I said get your stuff and get the hell out of here," he warned, his eyes blocks of ice.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she exclaimed. Damon was starting to get seriously irritated. Was she completely stupid?

He turned to his side and stared into her eyes, his pupils dilating. "You are going to get your stuff and leave right this minute. You won't remember this but you will remember having a great night and having to leave quickly in the morning because you had an appointment." He closed his eyes once the compulsion was complete.

"Damon, I've really got to go because I have an appointment I can't miss. I'm really sorry to leave you like this," she said as if the previous conversation never took place.

"Sure, whatever," he said waving a hand. He watched her get up, get dressed and leave. He sighed in relief and got up for a quick shower. Once he was done, he dragged himself downstairs to get a blood bag and a bourbon and threw himself down on the couch for another rounding of sulking. He was starting to get really good at it.

Half an hour later, Stefan walked in. "Damon, you could have at least given her a lift into town."

"Why?"

"Because we are out in the boonies here and she didn't have her car. It would have been a damn long walk," Stefan said in exasperation. Damon was acting like a complete idiot. It was as if he was on auto-pilot and had only a few neurons firing. The ones connected to his dick and his bloodlust.

"Why should I care?" Damon asked and Stefan threw his hands up in annoyance.

"What's this, the fourth one this week?" Stefan asked. "And they all bear a remarkable resemblance to someone we know," he said pointedly.

"I get bored easily and they look nothing like Katherine," Damon snapped.

"I never said anything about Katherine," Stefan said, his expression revealing that he wasn't buying Damon's crap. "What the hell is wrong with you, Damon? I've never seen you like this. Not even after Katherine."

"Yeah, because with Katherine I cared."

Stefan barked out a laugh. "Okay, so with Katherine you cared and decided you had to go on a killing spree to prove to her you loved her and with Elena you don't give a shit and that's why you are turning into a hermit who is obsessed with women who look like her. Right."

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't give a crap about Elena. We had a good fuck in an alley and then she left me high and dry. Why the hell should I care?" Damon growled, getting angry that Stefan presumed to know what he felt. He loved Katherine and would always love Katherine, no matter what she had done to him or what she said. He didn't give a rat's ass about some woman who he had had one of the most amazing sexual encounters of his entire life with and had then left him with a "thanks, it was fun, I'll be seeing you." That had been 63 days, 5 hours and fifteen minutes ago, give or take. But of course he didn't care.

No, he didn't give a shit about the bitch. In fact, he loved Katherine so much he was going to do everything in his power to get her back. If that meant wooing her for the next century, then so be it. He would get her back somehow. Suddenly he felt a lot better.

"So what are you going to do when we run out of women with brown hair and brown eyes in Mystic Falls? Are you going to start traveling the country?" Stefan snickered, enjoying that for once he could torture his brother a little bit. Had he not had a vital piece of information, he wouldn't have been poking and prodding at Damon. He didn't want to see his brother hurt because of another woman, especially not after what he had endured with Katherine. But he was holding an ace up his sleeve so a bit of fun first was just what the doctor ordered.

"Chocolate," Damon said under his breath.

"What?" Stefan had heard him but he wanted to make sure he wasn't losing it.

"Her hair is the color of chocolate," Damon mumbled and took a hefty swallow from his glass of bourbon.

"Really?" Stefan looked at him and felt the overwhelming urge to laugh. "So, you don't care? Okay, I believe you."

"I love Katherine," Damon insisted. "And I'm going to get her back," he said with finality.

Stefan's eyes widened and he looked at his brother as if he had gone insane. "What the hell are you talking about? Wasn't nearly getting staked enough to get you to understand that she doesn't want you? Why do you have to torture yourself like this?"

"She doesn't know me anymore. I've changed and I'm convinced she'll like the new me. I can make her love me, even if it means fucking her into oblivion. She's already said that was the part of our relationship she was actually interested in so I'm going to use it," Damon said nodding sagely.

"How many of those have you had?" Stefan asked, studying the glass of bourbon in his hand. Damon was pissed out of his mind. It was the only explanation for the crap he was spouting.

"A few, I think. But it has nothing to do with it. I've made my decision. I'm getting her back." Stefan decided to drop the bomb because he definitely didn't like the direction Damon's plans were going in. Katherine was a psychotic bitch and didn't care who she hurt to get what she wanted. She was also a little fang and stake happy and he definitely didn't want her around Mystic Falls or his brother. So, he was going to have to run interference. He'd have to talk to Caroline to get her help.

"Fine, have it your way. I'll tell Elena you said hi," he said and turned to walk away, counting under his breath. He only got to 1.

"What did you say?" he heard his brother's menacing voice ask. One to Stefan Salvatore he thought to himself smugly.

"That you can do what you want," Stefan responded, deliberately misunderstanding his brother. So, Damon wasn't interested in Elena and he wanted Katherine? Fine, we'll have to see about that, won't we, he thought himself.

"Stefan, you're trying my patience," Damon growled.

"Oh, I just said I'll give Elena your regards," he said. Damon suddenly felt the blood freeze in his veins. His brother was in touch with Elena? He was going to see her? The bitch had slept with him and was now hitting on his brother. Un-fucking-believable! So, why was he so desperate to see her?

"Glad to see you two are so close. What did you have to do to get her number? I fucked her and she didn't even give me the time of day," Damon spat out. He was fucking furious. How dare she? She spoke to his brother all the time and couldn't even be bothered to say hello to him. She had been seared into his brain for the past two months but apparently she really didn't give a flying fuck about him. And that pissed him off more than he could verbalize. In fact, the leg of the chair next to him was looking pretty attractive.

Damon eyed his brother, wondering if his coordination after all the alcohol was good enough to stake him. For some reason, he couldn't get the image of Elena riding his brother out of his head. Stefan's death was sounding more appealing by the minute, especially since he had started hearing Elena urging Stefan on like she had done to him that night. He bared his fangs, which had dropped automatically.

Stefan smiled inwardly. His brother was jealous. And of a woman he had only met once. That must have been some encounter they had.

"Sorry to disillusion you but I don't have Elena's number. As a matter of fact, Caroline called me and invited us to Atlanta. They're playing there this weekend and she wondered if we'd like to come. But since you're busy with other matters, I thought you wouldn't be able to make it."

Damon felt his heart pick up speed at the thought of seeing her again, Katherine all but forgotten. When it finally clicked in his head that she wasn't talking to Stefan behind his back he felt an overwhelming sense of relief that he didn't want to analyze too closely. Yeah, they had great chemistry but he loved Katherine. Elena was just a seriously good time.

"Actually, I think I'll join you. Katherine can wait a few more days. I've waited 145 years, so I can wait a few more days. I liked their last concert," he said, trying to dissuade Stefan from the idea that he was going just to see Elena.

Stefan refrained from the urge to roll his eyes. He had gotten what he wanted so there was no reason to irritate Damon to the point he changed his mind and refused to come. Though, looking at his face, it would take a lot to change his mind.

"Cool," he said, "I thought we'd drive down Saturday morning."

"Fine." Damon closed his eyes, trying to appear relaxed when he was anything but. His skin tingled with excitement and his cock was practically jumping for joy. He was going to see her again in two days.

* * *

><p>"Elena, you ready? We're on in five," she heard Caroline say through the closed door.<p>

"I'll be right there," Elena sighed and rubbed her hands against her dress, wiping off the beads of perspiration. She tried to still her fluttering heart and her raging hormones, but it wasn't working. Damon was going to be here tonight.

She had been surprised when Caroline had told her that he was coming. After the way she had disappeared she hadn't expected him to come. She had acted like a bitch and she knew it. But she hadn't been able to help herself. What had supposed to been a bit of fun had turned out to be so much more so she had done the only thing she could. She ran.

She hadn't expected to feel such a deep connection to him and it certainly wasn't something she wanted. She didn't do relationships. She didn't do feelings. She couldn't. That was one luxury she could not afford and so, she had run. She knew she was acting like a coward but she had never felt like this in all the centuries of her existence and she was afraid. She was afraid of what it meant, she was afraid that she was the only one who felt something, she was afraid that it would change her life in ways she wasn't prepared for.

A thousand year old fae being afraid of commitment was probably one of the funniest jokes on the face of the planet. But that's how it was. She was afraid of being tied down, she was afraid of becoming like her mother and she was afraid that if she gave in she wouldn't be able to keep him anyway. And then there was the matter of being rejected.

Crap! She really was a coward. She could face down an army of shadow demons and cut them to pieces without batting an eyelash. She could slit the throat of her enemies without an ounce of remorse. Hell, she could stare her father's court down and have them all scurrying away in fear, which even impressed her psychotic father. And here she was trembling like a leaf at the thought of seeing him again.

No matter how afraid she was, though, her body had a different idea. Her body wanted him and it didn't give a shit that there were so many logical reasons to stay away from him. She took a deep breath. It was going to be an interesting evening.

* * *

><p>Damon practically glared at the stage. He had wanted to go backstage and see her before the concert but they had arrived with only minutes to spare so he was standing in a stadium again, waiting for the show to start. Except this time his attention didn't waiver. His gaze didn't move from the stage once and when the lights dimmed he could feel his blood bubble with excitement.<p>

The music started yet it was still pitch black on stage. He first heard her voice and then the lights started to brighten slowly. These were the moments when he was extremely glad he was a vampire. He could see her clear as day and his brain came to a crashing halt. What the hell was she wearing?

_You don't know that I know you watch me every night_

_And I just can't resist the urge to stand here in the light_

_You're greedy eyes upon me and then I come undone_

_And I could close the curtains but this too much fun_

The dress, and he used the term loosely, looked extremely demure at first glance. Long sleeves, turtle neck, black with flesh colored patches. Nothing extremely out of the ordinary. Until he looked down. The dress just stopped. Dresses were supposed to cover legs, not stop just under her ass and let every man present ogle those amazing legs.

He was seething, no matter how irrational he knew his reaction was. And then he just had to look closer and realized that those strategically placed patches were actually cutouts and not fabric. He almost sped on stage to cover her up but he knew she'd probably try to kick his ass with those damn combat boots she was wearing.

_I get off on you getting off on me_

_I give you what you want but nothing is for free_

_It's a give and take kinda life we make_

_When your line is crossed I get off, I get off_

What the hell was she singing? Was she trying to kill him? It had taken his brain a moment to catch up with the lyrics but when it did, he felt his skin tighten. A mixture of jealousy and lust shot through him. How dare she sing those words to a stadium full of men that would probably sell their family to spend five minutes with her? She was fucking his!

Fuck! No she wasn't. Oh, no! Definitely not. She was just a good lay. He loved Katherine. He wasn't interested in anything else except her body. A soft voice whispered mockingly in his head. _Keep telling yourself that and you might start believing it._

_So much left unspoken between the two of us_

_It's so much more exciting to look when you can touch_

_You could say I am different and maybe I'm afraid_

_But I know how to twist ya to bring you to your knees_

_I get off on you getting off on me_

_I give you what you want but nothing is for free_

_It's a give and take kinda life we make_

_When your line is crossed I get off, I get off_

Firmly locking away any softness he might be feeling towards her, he focused on the song. His mind dutifully supplied images to go with the lyrics. The thought of her getting herself off as he watched made his cock throb in anticipation.

_But you don't know but you can't see_

_It's what you forgive out here for me_

_I get off on you getting off on me_

_I give you what you want, yeah_

_I get off on you getting off on me_

_I give you what you want but nothing is for free_

_It's a give and take, kinda life we make_

_When your line is crossed I get off_

_I get off, I get off, I get off_

Elena finished the song and cursed herself for picking "I Get Off". It was usually an amazing song, especially since she knew that the male members of the audience would be fantasizing about her. But the moment she had spotted Damon, she was the one whose libido raged out of control. Imagining him stroking his cock as he watched her touch herself had her so wet she was afraid to move too much in case the short dress would reveal too much to the audience.

Their gazes locked for a split second and she felt a shiver run up her spine. His expression said more than words could. He wanted her and he wanted her now. _Focus Elena. _

Why couldn't she get him out of her system? Why was it that two months later she still wanted him desperately? If she had thought thinking about him was bad, she had certainly not been prepared for the shock of seeing him again. She forgot all about her fears of commitment and relationships. All she wanted was to feel his hands on her again and to have his tongue invade her mouth. She wanted to lose herself in him and she knew that no amount of logic would be able to stop her from having what she wanted.

* * *

><p>"Stefan! I'm so glad you came," Caroline exclaimed, hugging Stefan closely.<p>

"So am I. The concert was amazing but I don't expect anything less from you," he said smiling. He had gone backstage to greet Caroline, with Damon trailing close behind him. The tense set of his brother's shoulders told him more than mere words could. Elena affected him much more than he wanted to admit. And it was more than their physical connection, though Stefan knew it would take a miracle to get Damon to admit it. Hell, his brother probably didn't even realize he was falling for the fae.

"Thanks. So, as per usual, there's an after party and I won't take no for an answer," Caroline stated, smiling at her old friend. She knew Stefan wanted to talk to her about something and the party would be as good a time as any since all the supernaturals would be otherwise occupied and wouldn't really care about their conversation. She had a feeling it had something to do with Damon, so she was really curious.

She had watched Elena over the past two months and she knew love when she saw it. The problem was that Lena was in total and complete denial. Not only did she completely avoid the subject of Damon, she got downright scary when Caroline had tried pushing. That was never like Elena.

Oh, it wasn't the first time Caroline had seen her friend sleep with someone but it was the first time she was so closed-lipped about it. The fact that she'd catch her staring off into space more often than not was another clear signal that the fae was falling for the vampire. Caroline grinned. This was going to be fun.

"I wouldn't have dreamed of saying no," Stefan said with a laugh.

"Where's Damon?" Caroline asked, craning her neck.

"He was right behind me," Stefan said turning around to look for his brother.

Damon was hiding in the shadows, waiting for her to come out. He was trying to resist the temptation to tear the place apart to find her. His brain had shut down completely and all he could think about was having her in his arms again. He didn't care what it meant. All he knew was he needed to feel her silky skin, to see her look at him with those doe eyes filled with lust, to watch her come apart in his arms, to hear her beg him to fuck her.

His nostrils flared and he gritted his teeth, trying to get himself under control. There were too many people here for him to allow himself to let go. Hell, he was probably too unstable to even be in the same room with Elena right now. He was being torn apart by jealousy, rage and lust. And then he saw her and the world fell away.

She was exquisite. More beautiful than he remembered and all he wanted was to grab her and kiss her until she couldn't breathe anymore. So, why was he waiting? Since when did he give a damn about everyone watching them? The only thing that kept him rooted to the spot was the fact that she might reject him and he didn't think he could take it.

After all, she hadn't invited him here so maybe she didn't want to see him again. Maybe he had just been a one night stand for her and they were going to have a seriously awkward meeting. What the hell was going on with him? When did he ever feel insecure about women? Even Katherine hadn't made him feel like this.

So, Damon did the only thing he could. He buried his emotions and stalked over to her. Without a word, he grabbed hold of a shocked Elena and crashed his mouth against hers. Her body immediately softened, molding to his, and with a moan her lips parted, welcoming him into the hot cavern of her mouth.

He breathed her in and when her tongue stroked against his he felt a groan work its way out of his chest. Fuck, what the hell was this woman doing to him? When her hands fisted his hair to keep him still as she attacked his mouth with a vengeance, he slowly felt his control slipping away.

Stefan clearing his throat did nothing to derail him from his purpose. He was going to have her. He needed to have her.

It took Caroline's "Would you two get a room, already," to break them apart. They stared at each other in shock, neither able to believe how they had reacted to the other. In public, no less.

"Hi," he said, his voice hoarse, his fists bunched by his sides. He was convinced she wouldn't appreciate being manhandled any further in front of everyone else and the last thing he wanted was for her to disappear again. Especially now when his cock was begging for her attention.

"Hi," she said breathlessly and a smirk curled his lips. Well, she was definitely not immune to him.

"Come on you two, we have a party to get to," Caroline said breaking the spell.

Elena dragged her gaze away from Damon, feeling slightly dizzy. Of all the greetings she had imagined from Damon, this was the last one she had imagined. Part of her wondered if she shouldn't be angry with him. Angry that he would presume to plant one on her without even saying hello but then again she was no hypocrite. Not only was it exactly what she had wanted and had thought of every minute of every day since she had last seen him, the fact that he couldn't control himself around her made her tingle all over.

She only had one serious problem now. How the hell was she going to keep her hands off him for the rest of the night? It certainly didn't help that he was projecting again. The man had some serious fantasies going on and she was eager to try out each and every one of them.

Damon moved behind her and a shiver coursed through her body. She started counting in her head, trying to remind herself why she had to go to the damn party.

"Do you really want to go?" Damon whispered right in her ear. She curled her fists, her nails digging into her skin. "I'd much rather have you at my mercy. You left me before I had a chance to properly sample that divine taste of yours and I find I'm rather famished," he continued and her nails dug harder into her skin, drawing blood. She heard Damon's swift intake of breath and the scent that suddenly permeated the air but she couldn't help it. It was his fault for projecting an image of her tied to a bed while he lapped at her cunt until she screamed in ecstasy.

She looked up and saw both Caroline and Stefan trying to look everywhere except at them, clearly uncomfortable. She closed her eyes and loosened a tendril of power, allowing it to envelope her and mask the powerful scent of her blood. The two vampires in front of her visibly relaxed.

That had been stupid. She knew it was hard for Caroline to control her bloodlust since she was so young but fae blood was thousands of times more potent than human blood. Even though a vampire couldn't even hope to hurt her, especially one so young, Caroline was her friend and she didn't like making her feel uncomfortable.

"So, are we getting out of here or what?" Damon asked softly, his voice laced with desire.

"I have to go to this party," Elena said in what she hoped was a relatively level voice. "It's a public relations thing and Elijah will kill me if I don't show," she explained. Damon's disappointment was palpable and she could feel it, even if he was standing behind her. Probably because it mirrored her own. "But we don't have to stay long," she amended.

"Then let's get going. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave," he said, nuzzling her neck. She almost laughed at how quickly his demeanor changed.

* * *

><p>Damon was leaning against a pillar in the club where the party was being held, a bourbon in one hand and smirked at the similarity of the situation to the last time he had seen Elena. She was being dragged by Elijah from one group of people to the next, smiling, thanking people for their praise and generally being amazingly charming as she kept up the façade of the very human and highly successful rock star. Which reminded him that he still had no idea what she was. He would have to rectify that tonight.<p>

However, there was one major difference tonight. He knew she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. This time he was waiting for her and she would be coming to him. He wasn't here on his own, cruising the bars for a willing partner that he'd never see again. And even though there was nothing more between them than sex, he found he liked the idea of seeing her again, of being in bed with someone he knew, of waking up with someone without it being the result of too much alcohol.

He continued to watch her, ignoring all the women trying to gain his attention. She was with another group and was smiling in thanks when she glanced up, straight at him. Her lips curled into a small smile, a smile meant only for him and a warm feeling of satisfaction took root in his chest. He decided he liked the feeling.

He winked at her and her smile grew. She mouthed "soon" to him and Damon was suddenly struck by the familiarity of the small exchange. It was what he had seen other lovers do. The small smiles, the little gestures, and he was sharing them with a woman he had only met once before. It was certainly not something he envisioned Katherine doing. She was too self-centered to care about anyone else except herself. And yet he still loved her. Didn't he?

Damon watched as Elena excused herself and walked over to him, her hips swinging suggestively. He really, really hated that damn dress, especially considering that half the club had their eyes trained on her. But when she slipped an arm around his waist and reached up to brush a kiss across his cheek, he had the sudden urge to beat himself across the chest, caveman style. _His woman!_ No! Hell, no! Not that again! What the hell was wrong with him? Katherine, Katherine, he had to remember Ka… his thoughts trailed off as Elena reached a hand up turning his face so she could brush a soft kiss across his lips.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

"What for?" he asked, honestly surprised.

"For sticking around. For understanding. Elijah promised I could be out of here in an hour but I have to play nice or he'll keep me here for the rest of the night," she sighed, obviously quite displeased at being stuck there.

"I'd wait all night for you," he said, realizing it was the truth and not just a line. Hell, he'd probably wait a lot longer than that but he wasn't ready to accept it himself let alone tell her that. When Elena smiled at him he felt his world fall away. A microscopic spark of hope bloomed in his chest. She looked at him like she cared. No, it was just his imagination. There was no way, but still…

"Damn, I'm being summoned," she groaned. Damon cocked his head and looked in the direction Elena gestured. "That's Elijah who's waving me over," she explained and he nodded. However, it was the man standing next to him that raised Damon's hackles. He was feeling extremely territorial all of a sudden.

The guy looked like one of those Calvin Klein models Rose always insisted on torturing him with. He didn't see the attraction but then again, he didn't swing that way. But he suddenly didn't like the idea of the blond-haired Adonis in such close proximity to Elena. Especially considering that he was eyeing her like he was relishing the thought of getting up close and personal with her.

"I have to go or I'll never hear the end of it," Elena sighed in disappointment. As she was about to leave, Damon grabbed her and pulled her close, his mouth slanting across hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. She closed her eyes, her hands threading through his hair. "What was that for?" she panted, "Not that I'm complaining."

If anyone asked Damon later why he did it, he would never admit to the truth. Yes, he wanted to kiss her. In fact, he was desperate to feel her lips on his. But why choose that exact moment? He could be accused that he was staking his claim, warning the other man off that Elena belonged to him. But then that would mean he was jealous. That he cared. And he didn't.

"I couldn't resist," he said, smirking. "And I just wanted to make sure you don't forget me over here."

Elena laughed, "Darling, trust me, there is absolutely no chance of that." She pulled away and he immediately felt the loss of her body heat. He watched her make her way to Elijah and the pretty boy. He glared at the man and managed to catch his gaze. He knew there was murder in the steely set of his features by the way the man blanched and kept his gaze firmly locked on Elena's face. He smiled in satisfaction as he took another sip of his bourbon.

* * *

><p>"Did you see that?" Stefan said to Caroline as they eyed Damon and Elena.<p>

"Most definitely. So, what are we going to do about it?" Caroline said. After Stefan had explained that Damon was intent on getting Katherine back, Caroline had been worried about Elena. She didn't want her friend getting hurt, even though the woman had nerves of steel.

"I don't know. This idiot plan of Damon's is ridiculous. I think it's just that he's so used to chasing after Katherine, he has no idea what to do. But that is not the face of a man who doesn't care," he said gesturing to his brother and Caroline nodded in agreement.

"Look, I know Elena's running scared, right now. And she isn't going to break easily. She has a strange fear of commitment, which is surprising considering how old she is," Caroline mumbled almost to herself.

"How old is she?" Stefan asked curiously.

"It's impolite to ask a woman's age," Caroline huffed indignantly. Elena's age and origins were hers to reval and no one else's and Caroline wouldn't betray her friend's confidence. "But I think the best thing we can do is get them together at every possible opportunity."

"Good idea. With the way they react to each other, they won't be able to do anything but give in eventually."

"Yeah, it might take a while though, considering they're both stubborn as mules. Oh, and you're going to have to run a little interference with Katherine. The last thing we need is her in the same room as Elena."

"Don't worry, I'll do my best but if it comes down to it, you and I should be able to stop Katherine from hurting Elena." Caroline looked at Stefan strangely.

"Trust me, Katherine's not the one you should be worried about."

* * *

><p>"I thought we'd never get out of there," Elena moaned as their mouth's fused together. The ride to her hotel had been hell. She had barely been able to keep her hands off Damon. They had practically run through the lobby, slammed into the elevator and had groaned in disappointment when two other couples joined them.<p>

However, as soon as they had reached her floor and stepped off the elevator, the doors closing behind them, they had attacked each other. Their lips had come together, their tongues entwining in greeting. He tasted wild and primal, yet safe, for some reason. Even though violence simmered just beneath his skin and she knew he had the power to rip almost anyone apart, she felt safe. Alarm bells started going off in her head but she ignored them. For now, she would just enjoy their time together, how limited it might be. Brushing all thoughts aside she allowed herself to simply feel.

When Damon's arm banded around her waist and pulled her forcefully against him, she moaned in approval and her nipples puckered. She wound her arms around his neck, wanting to get as close to him as possible. All she needed was a look from him and wanton lust raged through her system unfettered, invading every sense. When he touched her, lust turned to need. Pure, addictive need. She was becoming addicted to Damon Salvatore.

"Room?"

"1057," came the clipped response.

"Up," was all he said and she lifted one leg, winding it around his waist. He grabbed her ass and held her as she lifted her other leg, providing her with the support she needed. Moments later they were outside the door. "Key," he ground out. Damon was about to explode. As soon as he had lifted her against him and his cock had come into contact with the heat of her cunt, he had almost taken her against the wall. Had they not been so close to her room, he would have. Fuck! Now she was grinding herself against him, moaning. He was going to break the fucking door down if she didn't hurry up.

"Elena, the key," he tried again. She looked at him and then glanced at the door which opened on its own. He looked surprised but wasn't going to question small mercies at that precise moment. He rushed them through the door and turned around, allowing their bodies to fall against it and as the door slammed shut his lips descended on hers again. All finesse was gone. This was a kiss full of raw passion. He sucked on her tongue, she mewled. She bit his lip and he growled. He explored every nook and cranny and she trembled. She tongued his fangs and he shook.

They broke apart, breathing heavily and that's when Damon realized his features had shifted. Damn it, he was going to ruin this evening before it started. The fact that she had been licking his fangs should have given him some idea that he had vamped out but he had been so focused on her and his raging lust that he hadn't realized. He watched her stare at him and was waiting for the look of disgust and fear to enter her eyes.

Elena looked at Damon's face and felt her heart skip a beat. While he looked hot as hell as a full on vampire, it was the uncertainty and insecurity that was coming off him in waves that made her heart break just a little for him. That chick Stefan told her about must have done a real number on him. She was suddenly feeling rather homicidal but refused to dwell on why she felt the need to beat the crap out of the bitch.

She leaned forward and he closed his eyes as she placed a soft kiss on each of his eyelids. She trailed some of the veins spidering out from his eyes with her tongue, making her way to his lips and sweeping her tongue inside his mouth. She deliberately pressed her tongue slightly harder against one fang until she felt it penetrate the skin. They both moaned at the sensation.

Damon was trembling. This was something he had never expected. He had been prepared for screaming, for wailing, to be pushed away. He had definitely not expected this gentleness and when she nicked her tongue on his fang, he swore it was the sexiest thing in the world. And then the taste of her blood exploded across his tongue and he growled. He had never tasted anything like it. It was like pure, undiluted power and it sang through his veins. He could taste her desire, her pleasure at being bitten, even if she had done it herself. Her whole body quivered as he sucked on her tongue, drawing out a little more blood.

He found the strength to draw back for a second, looking down at her. "Don't stop," she moaned. She was beautiful but she was evil. She was running her tongue across her lips, staining them ruby red with her own blood. She was going to finish him, was his last conscious thought as he swooped down and captured her lips in another searing kiss.

A few moments later she pulled away, trailing soft kisses down his jawline, towards his neck. When she bit down heard on his carotid artery, he almost exploded on the spot. He looked around quickly and spotted a conveniently located desk. He needed more of her and he couldn't wait another second. He set her down on the desk and snaked his hand between her legs, ripping her panties off in one swift motion. His fingers delved into her wet heat and found her clit swollen, begging for his touch. He massaged her gently with two fingers and she cried out as she fell back against the wall.

The smell of her was so potent, so intoxicating that he needed more. He needed to feel her shatter on his tongue and with that thought in mind he fell to his knees in front of her. He hooked her legs over his shoulders and grabbed her ass, pulling her closer to the edge of the desk so she was completely open to him.

"Beautiful," he whispered, studying the glistening pink lips of her cunt. He leaned in, taking a deep breath. "I could get addicted to your smell," he said as he swiped his tongue between her folds, "and your taste," he continued as she moaned, her hands grabbing on to the edge of the desk.

Elena looked down at Damon and trembled. Not only did he have an insanely talented tongue, but the sight of him on his knees in front of her was driving her insane. She felt him spread her nether lips apart with his fingers and circle her clit with his tongue and she felt it down to her toes. She arched into him, silently begging for more and he obliged her as he sucked her clit into his mouth.

Fuck, he was better than her rabbit, was the last conscious thought she had as she gave herself over to the sensations of his tongue flicking across that bundle of nerves. There was definitely something to be said for vampire speed. He'd lap, suck, circle and then tap, over and over until she was wound so tight she was certain she would shatter. Then he'd stop, moving down to the entrance to her vagina, probing gently inside her, then kissing either side until she calmed down slightly. Once the coil inside her loosened slightly, he started the same combination. Just as she was about to fall over the edge, she moved away from her clit and she screamed in frustration.

"Damon, don't stop. I need to come," she moaned. She knew she sounded suspiciously like she was begging but every muscle in her body was cramped with her need to find completion. She had never been so desperate in her life and he was playing her like a master plays the piano, pressing the right keys at the right time until the music touched on a crescendo, but never quite making it.

"You taste too good," he whispered. "And I want to make sure you never forget this. Forget me," he said. Damon wasn't about to analyze what the hell he was talking about. He was drunk on the taste of her and he was spouting nonsense. Or was it? He really needed to silence that stupid inner voice of his. It was getting damn irritating.

"Fuck," she mewled as he attacked her clit again with a vengeance. "Trust me. I'm not forgetting anything. But if you don't make me come, I'm going to hurt you," she growled as her gaze locked with his.

She looked amazing. Her face was flushed, her lips swollen from his kisses, her eyes glazed over with need, her chest rising and falling as she panted. It was an image he would never forget. He grinned wickedly at her and returned his attention to what he was coming to realize would be something he would never tire of doing. This time, he didn't stop. He drove her higher and higher until her body shattered and she gushed all over his tongue. He felt her legs lock in a scissor grip around his head as she arched into his face and he didn't think he had ever witnessed anything hotter as she ground herself into him.

"Damon!" she screamed as her hands gripped the edge of the desk until a loud crack thundered threw the room. Elena was shaking with the strength of her orgasm. After bringing her to the edge so many times and not delivering, her body decided to take everything Damon gave her and implode with pleasure. It was as if all the orgasms he had promised had rolled into one that quaked through her body. He had completely ruined her for other men, was her only thought as she came down from her high.

When he rose gracefully she grabbed hold of him and kissed him hard, tasting herself on his lips. The combination was so erotic that her sated body woke up instantly, demanding more, as if knowing that he could take her even higher. She trailed her hands over his body and that's when she realized they were fully clothed. That would definitely not do. She wanted to see him, to feel him, to make him tremble like he did her.

"I need you," he moaned against her lips and she quivered. She needed him naked, and fast. So, she grabbed hold of the edge of his T-shirt and, with his help, it was soon sailing across the room. She groaned. It was the first time she was seeing him and she ducked her head down to plant soft kisses against his chiseled chest. He moaned. She nipped. He gritted his teeth. Her nails raked down towards his pants. He trembled. She unbuttoned them and slipped a hand inside, curling it around his cock. He growled.

"I want you naked," she whispered and in under a second he was standing in front of her as she had demanded. She let her gaze take him in and she trembled with desire. God, he was beautiful, standing there so proud, his body a work of art that she longed to memorize. She was going to kiss and lick every inch of him until he was screaming her name. Until she was sure he would never forget. She wouldn't think about why it was so important to her, just as she had chosen to ignore his words that had sounded almost identical earlier.

"Tit for tat," he said, looking at her expectantly. She smiled and in a flash, she was completely naked, her clothes having disappeared. Damon groaned at the sight of her standing before him. She was exquisite and he wanted to bury himself inside her as deep as he could go and never leave. He leaned down and kissed her reverently but when their skin touched, all thought of gentle vanished.

She had a talent of making him lose control so he picked her up, settled her on the desk and drove into her with no preamble. They both moaned as he invaded her flesh, pushing in, stretching her until he could go no further. They stayed like that for a moment, enjoying each other until Elena drove him nuts with the rhythmic tightening of her muscles, her slick walls practically massaging his cock. How the hell was he supposed to take it slow when she was doing that? How the hell did she do that, anyway?

So, he did the only thing he could and began to thrust, his movements colored by his desperation. The multitude of sensations bombarding him had him shaking. "Harder, deeper," she kept on moaning and he grabbed hold of her ass, pulling her up and towards him slightly so he could oblige. He drove into her with one forceful thrust and she screamed as she raked her nails down his back until they reached his ass where she gripped him until she drew blood. He groaned at the sensation. The slight sting of pain only served to intensify the pleasure he was feeling.

He couldn't hold out much longer. It felt too good and the memory of his previous orgasm with her made him tremble with anticipation. But he'd be damned if he came before her. He continued to drive into her and she met him thrust for thrust, raising her hips off the desk until she was suspended between him and the wall.

He ducked his head down and captured a nipple, sucking hard. "Fuck, Damon!" she screamed. And then he grazed her skin with his fangs and he felt her muscles tense and her cunt clamp down on him so hard he literally couldn't move. She shrieked and drew more blood as her release took hold of her, pulling him along for the ride.

"Elena!" he shouted as his body emptied itself into her. He was trembling and if it hadn't been for her legs holding onto him so tightly, he would have fallen to his knees. He was really glad he was a vampire or he was convinced he would have had a heart attack. There was simply no way a human body was strong enough to take that much pleasure.

They looked at each other and he leaned down, placing a soft kiss on her lips. He had a feeling she was going to change his life as he stared down into her eyes and she smiled up at him.

* * *

><p>The next morning Damon woke with a smile on his lips. Before opening his eyes his hand reached out, looking for Elena's warmth. When they had both fallen into bed, she had curled around him and he found he wanted to pull her closer. It was definitely a first for him. He usually liked his space. And now he discovered he missed her. But when his hand found nothing but cool sheets, he raised his head, panic gripping him. No, not again.<p>

As he suspected, the bed was empty. He ripped the sheets off his body and tore through the suite. It was empty. Not one sign of her. Then he saw a piece of paper sitting on the desk where he had taken her last night and he stalked over to it.

_Sorry, had to catch an early flight. Didn't want to wake you. Had a great time. Thanks. Elena_

He couldn't believe it. She had done it again. He crumpled the note and threw it against the wall forcefully. When that did nothing to alleviate his anger, he picked up something heavier and threw it with a roar. The vase shattered against the wall into a million pieces. Just like the small spark of hope he had felt the night before.


	3. Chapter 3

"Lena, you can't keep doing this to Damon," Caroline told her friend as they nursed their coffees one sunny afternoon, sitting at a small sidewalk café. It was the one ritual they stuck to religiously every week, come hell or high water. No matter where they were in the world, they did their best to get together at least once a week for girl talk, without any pressure. Just girl talk.

Elena snorted at Caroline as she took another sip from her espresso. "What, giving him earth-shattering, mind-blowing sex?" Caroline rolled her eyes and glared at Elena.

"Oh, cut the crap," Bonnie said as she took a seat beside them.

"You're late," Caroline immediately jumped on her, "but she's right," she continued as she turned to try and stare Elena down.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Elena feigned innocence. "So, how about you and Tyler?" she asked Caroline, in an attempt to deflect.

"Oh, I hate that man. He's got it in his head that you won't be happy if we hook up together even though you know we're perfect for each other. He's got this stupid idea that you'll throw him out of the band if he makes a move on me," Caroline ranted, her frustration quite clear.

"But that's stupid," Elena exclaimed. "Everyone can see you two are made for each other. Maybe you should take a more proactive approach to reeling the wolf in, though. Waiting for him to make a move doesn't seem to be working."

"You know, you're right. That's exactly what…" Caroline suddenly stopped talking. "Ah, ah, ah, I know what you're doing. We were talking about you and Damon. Why do you keep running off like that? The guy is gonna end up with permanent damage."

Elena snorted again. "Please… a vampire who is still in love with his ex and has been for 150 years and who also goes through women like underwear? I'm really not seeing the problem. I'm just doing what he does to them."

"So what? Is this some form of deranged attempt to teach him a lesson?" Bonnie asked, her face clearly revealing how skeptical she was.

"Look, I'm not going to see him again, anyway," Elena said, even though she felt the icy fingers of regret squeeze her heart as the words left her lips.

"Why not?" both of her friends screeched at her.

Elena raised her hands in mock defense. She laughed but then a sad smile curled her lips. "It's just the way it has to be. I don't have a choice, now can we drop the subject please." At her no nonsense tone, both Caroline and Bonnie knew that they had little chance of getting anything else out of Elena but they both had a gut feeling that something was definitely going on.

* * *

><p>As soon as Elena's hand made contact with the door knob she knew someone was in her hotel suite. Someone who shouldn't be there. She sighed. Here we go again, she thought to herself. She opened the door and walked in nonchalantly. She dropped her keys on the sideboard and threw her coat over the back of the couch. She quickly scanned her surroundings but at first glance, no one was there.<p>

She sighed again. She had a niggling suspicion who was waiting for her and he certainly needed a good lesson. He knew she hated being surprised. So, she continued with what would appear a normal routine, turning her back to the bedroom as she switched the TV on.

She felt the hair on the back of her neck tingle and knew he was approaching her from behind. Not yet, she whispered to herself. Just a little closer. Just a little closer. As a hand reached out, a hairsbreadth from her shoulder, her features began to distort, fangs extending, the whites of her eyes disappearing behind the blackest of blacks. Her left hand shot out like lightning, grabbing hold of the offending limb approaching her as spikes extended from her forearms, ripping through her shirt.

She squeezed the hand that she had hold of and whirled around as her wings shot out of her back, extending to their full six foot span, mesmerizing the person standing in front of her. Unfortunately, his surprise didn't last longer than a few moments and he twisted his arm around hers, freeing himself in an instant. His other hand shot out and grabbed hold of her neck, making her growl. He stared at her with a feral smile, fangs similar to hers being revealed, his amber eyes glinting dangerously at her.

He slowly picked her up off the floor by her neck but instead of struggling, she allowed herself to hang loose. As she prepared to strike, he threw her. Instinct stopped her from crashing against the far wall, but the movement of her wings, no matter how gentle it had been, caused a slight wind storm in the room.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at her opponent, a grin just as feral as his gracing her features. He stood stock still, as if goading her to attack. She softened her body, hoping to give him the impression that she was worried, that the fight had left her. At his small smile, she knew he wasn't buying it so she attacked. She launched herself full speed at him, knocking into him and carrying both of them across the room until they crashed into the wall. Her arm came up, her spikes at his jugular.

"I win," she said with a smile as pieces of the wall fell off and crashed to the floor.

"I taught you well," he answered with a smile. Elena laughed happily as she jumped on the man she had been fighting with a moment before, her legs locked firmly around his waist her arms pulling him into a hug as her wings curled around him as he walked away from the wall.

"I missed you," Elena whispered, as he held her close.

"I missed you too, you know that." Elena drew back and stared at him, a frown marring her now fully human features.

"What the hell are you doing sneaking up on me like that, Klaus? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" she admonished the man who still held her tightly.

He started laughing. "Like you stand a chance," he smirked at her. Elena rolled her eyes at him.

"Keep dreaming, old man," she said as she folded her wings away and stepped back from him.

"Old man? Very funny," said the man whose eyes had shifted to a dazzling blue. His tousled sandy brown hair and boyish features made him look no older than 30 but his age was nowhere close to that.

"Exactly how old are you again, Nikky?" Elena asked, knowing it irritated him when she needled him about his age.

"Well, older than you in any case," he said with a shrug.

"My point proven," she said with a smirk. "So, what are you doing here?"

"We need to talk."

"About?" she asked, even though she had a damn good idea what he wanted to discuss.

"You need to come back," Klaus said.

"Not this again!" she exclaimed. "We've been over this. There is no way in hell I'm coming back. Not while he's in charge, anyway."

"Elena, the time is drawing close. We've been working on this for ages but we need you, now. Without you, we can't get any closer. You're the only chance we have of finding out what the hell is going on," Klaus said as he rubbed his temples. Elena cocked an eyebrow. It really wasn't like Klaus to show any sign of weakness, let alone fatigue. On the other hand, they had always been close and felt comfortable enough in each other's presence to let down their guard.

"Klaus, I know he's up to something but don't you think it would be easier to stop him by keeping a key piece of the plan away from him? I know he wants to use me for something and the further I stay away, the less likely it is for him to be able to pull off whatever he's planning."

"I would have agreed a few weeks ago but the recent rush of activity in your father's inner circle has us all worried. And there's something else," Klaus said but hesitated to continue.

"Well, spit it out, what is it?" she asked, suddenly very worried.

"For the past few months, shadow demon activity has increased significantly. I mean it's gotten to the point where we're hunting them down round the clock and we don't have enough people to handle it. If we don't find out what the hell is going on, I don't know if we're going to be able to keep them at bay."

"Why would you think that the shadow demons have anything to do with my father?" she asked, but then her eyes widened at the implications. "Not even he would be that insane," she whispered to herself.

"I really wish you were right but we both know that coincidences are usually well-executed plans. This isn't about who's ruling the Seelie court anymore or some simple bid for power. If we don't find out what the hell's going on, we could be looking at mass genocide because I really don't know how much longer we can keep the shadow demons at bay."

Elena bit her lip. No matter how frivolous she might seem, her people always came first. After all, she had spent most of her life as a member of the Shadow Squads and she was royalty. They were born with an instinct to put their people before themselves. Her father had once been like that. He would have given anything for the fae, he would have done anything to ensure the welfare and happiness of each and every member of their race until one day… One fateful day when her mother had been brutally murdered in their own bed. To this day, five hundred years later, the killer had never been found. Many suspected the King himself of killing his wife. After all, it took a very powerful being to kill a fae.

Elena didn't know what to believe anymore, especially after her father's slow but certain descent into madness. The girl that still lived inside her was desperate to believe that her father couldn't and wouldn't even think of hurting his wife. At the same time, the woman and the soldier in her had seen so many atrocities that she had not trouble believing he could have easily done it.

The fact of the matter was that her people needed her and she would be there for them. She would always be there to protect them, with her last breath if necessary.

"So, how do you want to do this?" she asked Klaus, knowing that it wouldn't be all that easy to get her back into court without her father suspecting anything. They hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms.

"I was thinking that I could put out a call for all retired Shadow Squad members to return to duty due to the increase in shadow demon activity. It would be plausible enough, I should think."

"Not a bad idea. He won't suspect anything, especially since he knows me well enough to know that I would always come back if I was needed. Plus, I hear you could use the manpower," she said with a wink. "But I'm going to need a couple of weeks to get things in order here. I can't just up and disappear. Oh, one more thing. Jeremy stays here and he can't know anything about what's going on."

"Do you think that's wise? If he doesn't know what's going on, he can't actually protect himself," Klaus pointed out.

"I know but how can I tell him that we suspect the King of being a traitor? Jeremy was always more of an artist than a fighter and I'm afraid that it would destroy him."

"Very well. But I can't give you more than a week. It's getting worse every day and we simply don't have the luxury of time. We need to make sure we have someone on the inside as soon as possible."

"You know, I think you are overly optimistic. My father is not going to welcome me back with open arms and he certainly isn't going to let me hear anything important," Elena pointed out. She had been gone for a few decades and had ignored every one of her father's summons. He was bound to be slightly irritated with her, on a good day, which made it a given that she would be kept out of the loop.

"Lena, please, don't give me that. We both know how persuasive you can be when you want something. And we both know you always get what you want," Klaus said with a laugh.

"Fine, fine. Now go away. I have a ton of crap to sort out now, thanks to you," Elena grumbled. When she saw Klaus hesitate, she cocked an eyebrow. "Was there something else?"

"Actually, yes. It's about Damon Salvatore," Klaus said quietly. Elena's eyes narrowed and looked at Klaus, her face a mask of indifference.

"What about him?" she asked.

"Don't give me that look. I know you better than that and I know you care about him." Elena snorted, trying to appear indifferent but wasn't surprised that Klaus had figured her out so fast. After all, they'd been friends for more than a millennium. There wasn't much she could keep from him.

"Look, I just want you to know that the Salvatores and I had a bit of an issue a while back," Klaus said. Elena looked at him in surprise.

"What issue?" she asked.

"Do you remember Katherine Pierce?" Klaus asked and Elena rolled her eyes at the woman's name.

"Who could forget that conniving, manipulative bitch?" she said with a sneer, making Klaus laugh. They had both met Katherine five hundred years before, when she had still been human, at a surprise birthday party she had organized for Klaus. As soon as Katherine had stepped through the door, Klaus had been mesmerized. He had fallen for her hook, line and sinker, despite Elena's warnings to be a little more careful around the woman.

She had picked up something slightly off when it came to Katherine and, unfortunately, she had been right. After playing Klaus and his brother, Elijah, off each other, she had gotten what she wanted, namely immortality, and promptly disappeared, leaving Elena to pick up the pieces. The rift between Klaus and Elijah had never fully healed and it galled Elena that Katherine was still walking around after all the damage she had done.

"Well, it seems that she took things one step too far and seduced Lady Rhiannon's lover and then tried to kill him," Klaus said with a shrug, seemingly indifferent but Elena could hear the undercurrent of pain that he could never hide from her. It set Elena's teeth on edge and she wondered for the hundredth time why she had allowed that stupid bitch to live after what she had done.

"Is she that stupid? I thought she would have learned her lesson after her last stint at the Seelie court." Katherine had a ridiculous habit of antagonizing people and she had almost gotten killed trying to play her stupid games with one of the members of the council. What she hadn't realized was that she was a child trying to play in the big leagues and she would inevitably get her ass handed to her. After all, the fae were infinitely more deadly and manipulative than any vampire could ever aspire to be.

"Either she's lost it completely or she didn't realize who he was. In any case, Lady Rhiannon sort of lost it when she discovered Darren passed out, smelling of Katherine. The next thing I know, I'm being sent off to bring her back in chains to face the wrath of the court." At Klaus' words, Elena grimaced. This was one example of why things needed to change in the Seelie court. The council was more interested in using their power to further their personal gain rather than in ruling the people. And her father was at the center of the problem.

"Please tell me you didn't do anything stupid, Nikky," she said, looking into her friend's eyes. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Actually, I didn't. Damn, you don't know how hard it was for me to accept this mission, knowing that I would likely be dragging her home to face an eternity of torture." Elena walked over to him and hugged him, knowing how much he was hurting. He looked at her with a smile and then cleared his throat. "Anyway, I tracked her down in Mystic Falls a few months ago, where I found her holed up with the Salvatores."

"What?" Elena exclaimed.

"Yeah, it appears that the brother against brother thing is a trademark of hers. Apparently what she did to me and Elijah wasn't enough. She moved on to another pair of brothers, who she actually turned into vampires. Her boy toys, as she called them," Klaus gritted his teeth in anger. "Elena, she stood there and laughed, not an ounce of regret in her over what she had done, to me, to Elijah, to Darren."

"Nikky, I tried to tell you. The woman's bad news. I only wish you had let me finish her then."

"I know, you're right. You're always right when it comes to Katherine. Anyway, coming back to the Salvatores, it seems she really fucked them over, especially Damon."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"He's been desperately in love with her for the past hundred and fifty years or so, even though she basically ignores him." Elena gasped as she finally put two and two together. Katherine was the ex Stefan had mentioned, the one Damon was apparently still in love with.

"Why does that sound a bit like déjà vu?" she asked sarcastically, trying to hide her own reaction to the news that the man she was falling for was in love with the queen of bitches.

Klaus smiled sheepishly. "I know," he sighed. "Anyways, to cut a long story short, we had a bit of a fight because she had convinced them that I was some evil ex-boyfriend who wanted to kill her."

"Well, they got everything right except for the evil part, though I'm not always convinced," Elena said with a giggle.

"Aren't you hilarious," he said.

"Did you at least get her?" Elena asked. When Klaus looked everywhere except at her Elena groaned. "She got away from you? Damnit Nikky!"

"Hey, it wasn't my fault! She found that damned idiot dagger and had some local human vampire hunter stab me after…" he trailed off.

"You fell for her crap again, didn't you? Nikky!" Elena exclaimed, exasperated. When he looked at her and grimaced she rolled her eyes. Men could be so damn gullible. What the hell was it with that woman? Did she have a fucking golden vagina that turned every man into a quivering mass of stupidity? "So, if you were stabbed how come you're standing here?" she asked.

"I actually don't know. I woke up in the middle of the forest a few days later and the dagger was nowhere in sight."

"You are a lucky bastard, you know that, right?" Elena said laughing at Klaus' helpless face.

"Anyway, the whole point with Damon was that you need to be careful. He's hooked on her more than I ever was and I don't want to see you getting hurt," he said with a sigh.

"I think it's too late for that, Nikky, but it's a moot point, isn't it? After all, I'll be leaving in a week," she said.

"You could always bring him along," Klaus said quietly, watching the emotions flitting across Elena's face. He could see that she cared deeply for the other vampire and he wanted to see her happy.

"And what? Have him ripped apart by shadow demons as soon as he sets foot in Lamarthil?"

"Elena, he is a vampire, you know? I could easily train him," Klaus said with a shrug. Elena looked at him and pondered. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. She could always ask, she supposed, even though she was afraid of the hold Katherine still had over him. Then again, she hadn't ever been accused of being a coward.

"I'll think about it," she said with a sigh.

"So, I'll see you in a week?" Klaus asked and Elena nodded.

"See you then," and Elena sighed, thinking of how she was going to break the news to Jer and the rest of the band that she was leaving.

* * *

><p>"No! You can't do this!" Jer was almost shouting, angry that Elena would even think of going back to Lamarthil. The rest of the band stared at her with varying degrees of shock stamped on their features, while Elijah just looked on sadly, knowing that this day would come.<p>

"Jer, I have to go. The shadow demons aren't playing nice and if we don't beat them back, then they'll spill over into the mortal world and bad things will happen," Elena had decided to go for the partial truth regarding her departure. She didn't want Jer to know about their father but by warning him of the shadow demons, he would invariably be more alert to any danger.

"But, but… damn it, Lena! There's so many others who can do this, why you?" Jer shouted.

"You know why Jer," she admonished.

"Yeah, yeah, we have a responsibility to our people and you are one of the best enforcers and yada yada yada. It's bullshit. Then I'm coming with you," he said with finality.

"Yes, yes and no. You are definitely not coming with me. I want you safe. Jer, please, stay here and be safe."

Jer sighed as he looked at Lena and realized there was no stopping her. He would have gone with her, but he had to be realistic, Lena was the fighter and he was the lover. Hell, he wouldn't last five minutes with a shadow demon but Lena had done this for most of her life. But he didn't want her to go. He wanted her here with him, where there were no threats and they could just live in peace.

"When will you be back?" he asked.

"I really don't know. But don't worry, Nik will look after me," she said with a soft smile. Jer breathed a small sigh of relief. The hybrid had been best friends with his sister ever since he could remember and he had always kept an eye out for her. He felt better knowing Klaus would be by her side.

He hugged his sister tightly. "Be careful," he whispered. Lena nodded as she held him tightly. She would miss him terribly. She'd miss them all.

Caroline and Bonnie ran over to her to hug her, tears streaming down their faces. "You come back to us, you hear?" they both said, sniffling.

Elena smiled through her own tears, "You aren't going to get rid of me that easily. And promise to keep the band going. You don't need me and I want you all to stay together and look out for each other."

"We promise," they all said.

"Take care of them for me Elijah," she said with a smile, hugging the vampire.

"Don't you worry about them, Lena. I'll make sure they're taken care of. You worry about keeping yourself in one piece and getting back here. We need our lead singer back ASAP, got it?"

Elena laughed, "Got it. Damn, I have to go or I'll never make it out of here. I've got one more stop before I meet up with Nik."

"Where you going?" Caroline asked, curiosity eating at the bubbly blonde.

"I'm going to ask Damon to come with me," she said and both her friends squealed in delight while the guys groaned at the noise.

"See! I told you she really liked him," Caroline said poking Bonnie. They were both ecstatic for Elena. She really needed someone in her life.

They both turned to Elena, "Well, go ask him! Why are you still here?" they practically screeched and Elena backed up laughing.

"Okay, I'm going, I'm going," she said.

* * *

><p>Elena found herself standing in front of the Salvatore Boarding House in Mystic Falls, a hand poised to knock. She still wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing. Not only was she asking a guy to move to a completely new realm with her, but it was a guy she had only seen twice and had slept with on both occasions. Add Katherine to the mix and his apparent love for her and it came to one shitty situation.<p>

Oh well, no risk, no gain, she thought to herself with a shrug and knocked. The door opened to reveal a very surprised Stefan. If she hadn't been so worried, she might have laughed at the look on his face.

"Elena? What are you doing here?" Stefan exclaimed. "Come in, come in," he said, appearing to remember his manners. As soon as she had stepped over the threshold, Stefan grabbed her in a fierce hug, which was a bit surprising.

"Wow, I can't believe you're here," he said. "So, can I get you a drink?" he asked as he led her into the living room.

"Actually, I can't stay long. Is Damon here?" she asked. Stefan's sudden look of extreme discomfort made her wonder what the hell was going on.

"Uhm, I think so. I'll go get him," he said, swallowing hard. In moments he was gone and she could hear voices upstairs.

"Damon, there's someone here to see you," she heard Stefan say.

"Can't you see we're busy?" asked a female voice. Shit, she had made a mistake. What the hell was she thinking? What was she doing here?

"Who is it?" she heard Damon ask. He wouldn't remember her or even care. What had been in her head? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Won't you just come down Damon?" Stefan urged, ever the diplomat Elena thought to herself. She was about to turn and leave when she heard two pairs of footsteps entering the room.

"Damon will be right down, Lena," Stefan said. "Let me introduce you to Katherine. She's uh…" Stefan trailed off, clearly not sure what to say. Elena had been about to make a quick exit but as she turned and came face to face with Katherine, who clearly didn't recognize her, she felt a red haze descend.

"Damon's girlfriend," she said smugly and Elena fought the urge to roll her eyes. The woman was barely dressed, wearing a negligee in the middle of the day, in front of her boyfriend's brother, no less. She had the sudden urge to rip Katherine's heart out. "And who are you?" she asked arrogantly.

Elena simply stared at her, an eyebrow cocked. "Oh, this is Elena Gilbert. She's in the same band as Caroline," he said. Stefan swallowed hard, looking at Elena. For some reason, he had a feeling this situation was going to blow up in his face sooner rather than later.

"Can't she speak for herself? Anyway, what do you want with Damon? You interrupted a very pleasurable afternoon," Katherine grinned wickedly and Stefan rolled his eyes.

Elena had been trying to get control of herself so she could walk out of there calmly but Katherine seemed intent on taunting her. "Katerina, you never change, do you?" Elena said, using the woman's original name. At that second the vampire's face immediately morphed, fangs descending, eyes darkening to black, veins protruding under her eyes and she attacked, grabbing Elena by the throat and pinning her against the wall. Stefan rushed over to help but Katherine threw him off her easily.

"Who are you?" she growled.

Elena bent one knee and kicked Katherine in the chest, throwing the vampire across the room to land in a stunned heap. She walked over to Stefan and offered him a hand, helping him to stand. Moments later, Katherine rushed her again, but this time Elena caught her by the throat before she could get anywhere near her.

"Don't you remember me, Katerina?" Elena asked as she unfurled her wings, the sound of fabric tearing as they pushed through her clothing the only thing that could be heard as the two vampires watched in awe.

Stefan couldn't believe his eyes. He had known Elena was fae but he hadn't realized she would have wings let alone such stunning ones. He had never seen anything like it in all his life. They had at least a six foot span, with feathers that appeared so soft he felt the urge to run his hands over them. The colors were also amazing. The started off blue black at the top, fading into gold and the silver towards the tips. He had the sudden urge to rub his eyes, uncertain of what he was seeing.

A quick glance at Katherine, though, confirmed that he wasn't hallucinating. The look of fear on her face also made him think she knew Elena.

"Oh my God," he heard Katherine croak. "Your High –,"

"I see you remember," Elena said with a smirk, interrupting Katherine. She let the vampire go, who fell to her knees, rubbing her neck, looking up in fear at Elena towering over her, with her wings outspread in challenge.

"Are you taking me back?" Katherine asked.

"You know, I probably should. Hell, the only reason you're still breathing is because Nik has a soft spot for you. I would have killed you ages ago," both Stefan and Katherine gasped. "However, I think we can make a deal."

"Anything, just don't take me back," Katherine whimpered.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, stand up and stop blubbering. It's irritating." Elena growled. Katherine quickly stood, though Stefan could clearly see she was terrified. He was trying really hard not to clap his hands in glee at the thought that someone was finally putting Katherine in her place. "Stefan, could you give us a moment, please?" Elena asked and he nodded, leaving the room. However, curiosity was one of his biggest weaknesses so he didn't go further than the next room and then listened intently, his vampire hearing allowing him to easily pick up the conversation in the other room.

"You have two options Katherine. One, you stay here, with Damon and make him happy," he heard Elena say, making him frown.

"And two?" he heard Katherine ask.

"Well, number two is that I take you back and hand you over to the shadow demons. Do you know what they do to little vampire girls like you?" Elena asked menacingly, making Stefan's skin crawl.

"What?" he heard Katherine's voice come out like a squeak.

"They'll throw you in with the vergarins. Do you remember those? Their demons who eat vampire flesh. They'll eat you to the bone and then feed you blood until you heal and start all over again. It's quite agonizingly painful, or so I've heard. And you will get to enjoy it for an eternity," Stefan suddenly felt like throwing up. "So, which will it be?" he heard Elena ask, her voice hard as steel.

"I'll stay here with Damon," Katherine's voice came out shaky.

"I thought you might. If I here you hurt him in any way or you tried to make a run for it and left him, I will hunt you down. And trust me, I will know every, single move you make. If he's unhappy for a single moment, I will come for you and that's a promise. Got it?" Stefan gulped. Elena was definitely someone he never wanted to cross.

"Yes," he heard Katherine squeak out again. He really wanted to laugh. It was good to see Katherine scared out of her mind for once.

"Stefan," he heard Elena call. He walked out and saw her at the front door. "I'm heading out now. Tell Damon I'll see him around," she said with a sad smile. "Oh, one more thing. I'm going to be going away for a while."

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked curiously. Elena shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. I just want to ask you to look out for Caroline. She'll need a friend," Elena said. Stefan nodded.

"Don't worry, Elena. I'll look out for all of them, I promise."

Elena smiled again. "Thanks Stefan. You're a good man and I promise I'll make it up to you." And with that, Elena was gone before Stefan could tell her that she didn't need to do anything. One moment she was there and the next she was gone.

"Who was that?" Damon asked as he came down the stairs, his black hair tousled and his blue eyes sparkling.

Stefan looked up at his brother and made a split second decision. "No one," he said. He knew Katherine would keep quiet because she definitely didn't want anyone knowing how she had her ass handed to her. Was he doing the right thing? He didn't know. But if he told his brother that Elena had been here and now she was gone, he didn't know how Damon would react. And with her threats, maybe things would improve in his relationship with Katherine.

Damn it, he wished Lexi was there. She would have known what to do. He sucked so bad at this kind of stuff.

* * *

><p>Klaus looked up and saw Elena sauntering towards him. He cocked an eyebrow, "Alone, love?" he asked.<p>

She sighed and nodded. "It's better this way," she said and he shrugged. "Oh, Nik," she sighed sadly, "I think I'm destined to be alone forever." His heart broke seeing her so upset and he grabbed her up in a bone-crushing hug. He looked down at her upturned face and gently wiped away the lone tear making its way down her face.

"You'll always have me, love," he said with a small smile and a gentle kiss to her forehead. Elena smiled and held on to him tighter. They would always have each other, no matter what. It was a comforting thought.

"Come on, let's go kick some shadow demon arse," he said and she laughed.

"You are so charming. How can a girl resist?"

"I know, I'm irresistible," he said, happy to see her smiling. They would be alright. They always were as long as they stuck together.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Six Months Later<em>**

"Hey Caroline, how you doing?" Stefan asked. He was keeping his promise to Elena as best he could. He called Caroline almost every day and tried to see her at least once a week. The first few weeks had been hard on all the band and even Stefan. He hadn't realized what an impact Elena had had on his life, even after just a few meetings.

However, slowly they all pulled themselves back together, remembering that Elena had asked them to keep the band going. So, they had started to play again and, even without Elena, they were doing quite well. They had told the world that Elena had decided to take a break due to an issue with her vocal cords, which seemed the most plausible thing to say at the time.

"Not bad," she said with a sigh. "It's hard, you know, especially when we have a concert."

"I'm sure. I'm really sorry I couldn't be there tonight but Damon needed a little help with some rogue vampires," Stefan said.

"Damon? What the hell is he doing there?" Caroline practically screeched over the phone, startling Stefan.

"Uhm, this is where he lives," Stefan said slowly, as if Caroline had lost her mind.

"But, but… didn't Elena come to see him?" Caroline asked softly.

"Actually, yeah, but she never did speak to him. She did have a really interesting conversation with Katherine instead, though," he said, remembering the interaction with a small smile.

"Aw hell," Caroline sighed and sniffled.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't tell you," she said.

"Caroline," Stefan said in warning.

"Promise you won't tell anyone, especially Damon, especially not now," Stefan was even more curious now.

"Promise," he said.

"She was going to ask Damon to go with her," Caroline said and Stefan gasped. What the hell?

"Crap! She probably changed her mind when she saw Katherine here," he groaned. "That's why she threatened the crap out of her."

"What do you mean?"

"Trust me, Katherine has been behaving like an angel with Damon. I've never actually seen her be so nice. Elena really scared the crap out of her," he said with a grim laugh.

"Katherine really has bad timing," Caroline said. "It's like she plans to ruin people's lives."

"Hang on," Stefan said, suddenly curious. Something didn't add up. "If she can flatten Katherine, why give Damon up to her? It's not as if she's afraid of her."

"I'm not sure. It doesn't sound like Elena. Unless she knew Damon really loved Katherine. Then she'd give him up to make sure he was happy. It's the way she is."

"Crap! I'm an idiot. I'm the one who told Elena that Damon was really hung up over his ex. Shit, shit, shit."

"Stefan, this isn't your fault. Anyway, there's nothing we can do about it now."

"Have you heard from her?" Stefan asked.

"Actually, she did send a message the other day. It seems she spends most of her time on the front, fighting. Other than that she didn't say much, just wanted us to know she was okay." Stefan heard someone calling Caroline in the background. "Stefan, I have to go. I'll speak to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure, Caroline, I'll speak to you soon." He put his phone down and stared at it blankly. If only he had known what Elena had wanted that day, he would have vervained Katherine. He would have done anything just to get the viper away from his brother. He knew Damon would still end up hurt. After all, the bitch was only staying because she was afraid what Elena would do to her.

"Who was that?" Damon asked as he sauntered in.

"Caroline," Stefan responded absently. He saw Damon freeze.

"Caroline?" Damon asked.

"Yes, Caroline," Stefan repeated.

"How's she doing?"

"Not bad," Stefan said, wondering at Damon's sudden interest in Caroline. He should be happy with Katherine there. Wasn't that what he had wanted? Maybe there was still hope. He really needed to get the bitch out of Damon's system. He decided to drop the bomb. Damon had no idea Elena had left or that she had stopped to speak to him. He now regretted not telling his brother but he hadn't really been thinking straight at the time. "It's been hard, with Elena gone, but they're managing."

"What do you mean Elena's gone?" Damon asked, his voice slightly menacing. Stefan cocked an eyebrow. Should he tell the truth or not? Definitely the truth.

"She's gone home to Lamarthil," Stefan said. In one of their many conversations, Caroline had explained all the details regarding Elena's departure as she knew them.

"To where? And how come I didn't know she was gone," Damon asked. He stared at his brother, his face impassive while a seething mass of fury boiled inside him. She had gone without a word to him. She had just up and left. And why the hell did he care? He had what he wanted, didn't he? Katherine was with him, by his side. What more did he want, right?

"Well, you've been kind of busy," Stefan pointed out, making Damon grit his teeth. "And to Lamarthil. It's where she's from, the realm of the fae." Damon felt like exploding. His brother knew a lot more about Elena than he did and it made him want to maim something or someone. He hadn't even known she was fae. How pathetic was he?

"So, why did she go back?" he asked, trying to reign in his fury.

"It seems the fae are the only thing that stands between the mortal world and the realm of the shadow demons. It's a constant battle to keep them back, to prevent them from breaking through the fabric that keeps our dimensions separate and committing mass genocide. Unfortunately, it seems that more and more demons are breaking through and she was called back to join the fight," Stefan explained watching as his brother's face became more and more incredulous.

"Excuse me? Have you been drinking again? Shadow demons? Elena fighting? Please," Damon snorted in disbelief.

"Believe what you will but as far as I can gather from what Jer and Caroline have let slip, Elena spent most of her life fighting these demons. Most of her very, very long life."

Damon refused to believe it. He preferred to stay angry at Elena. She had left him. Again! He knew he was irrational but it pissed him off that she had up and left without a by your leave. As she had done every time they had seen each other. It didn't matter that she was off fighting some unknown enemy. Hell, it was probably just a story she made up.

Just then Katherine walked in and smiled at him. Damon smiled back and grabbed her in a tight hug. These past few months had been fun but he still found it hard to understand Katherine's behavior. One moment she was ice and didn't want anything to do with him other than a quick fuck and the next she turned into a paragon of sweetness, caring for his every need. He might have even fallen for it if it hadn't been for her mask slipping every now and then, when he could see the barely controlled fury and hatred simmering beneath the surface.

To make matters worse, every time he slept with Katherine, he couldn't help but compare her to Elena. There was no comparison. With Elena, all it took to make him harder than a rock was one look from her. With Katherine, it had almost become a chore. It was okay but nothing special. Fuck, what the hell was happening to him?


	4. Chapter 4

_**Two years later…**_

"And that's your brilliant plan?" Elena asked Klaus incredulously as they both stripped their armor off. Klaus grimaced as he rotated a shoulder back and forth. A shadow demon had stabbed him through the shoulder with its tail and even if he could usually heal pretty quickly, the damn demons injected a poison that was incredibly painful and also slowed his regenerative abilities quite a bit.

"Yeah, that's what I've got right now, on three hours of sleep over the past three days. You got anything better?" he asked tiredly. Elena looked at him worriedly. She hated seeing him in pain and she knew those stab wounds hurt like hell.

"You want me to take a look at that?" she asked softly. He nodded curtly and Elena shook her head. Men and their pride. If it had been anyone else, he probably would have pretended nothing was wrong. She sighed and helped him take his shirt off, lifting it over his head and throwing it on the bed. He hissed as she probed the wound.

"Lena, that fucking hurts," he said with a groan. She looked closer at the hole in his shoulder. It seemed to be knitting itself together, but it was slow going. She also didn't like the greenish blue lines spidering out over his skin from the stab wound.

"Well, this is going to hurt even more. I don't like leaving the poison in you. Hell knows what will happen if we do," Elena said with determination. Klaus nodded curtly again, trusting Elena implicitly. He clenched his teeth and waited for the pain.

Elena placed a palm over the wound, closed her eyes and channeled her power, feeling as it penetrated the wound, seeking out and destroying any material that wasn't meant to be there, including the shadow essence that was trying to get a foothold. Even after the wound was clean, she directed her power to search the rest of his body, to ensure that nothing had been missed. Satisfied that all foreign matter had been removed, she opened her eyes and stepped back.

She heard Klaus exhale and smiled at him. "That's it. You're good to go," she said.

"Thanks. Look, I really can't come up with a better idea and we really need to do something to turn the tide because we are getting our asses handed to us," Klaus said as he lay down on the bed.

"Move over," Elena said, stripping down to her underwear and lying down beside Klaus. Space was in short supply on the front ever since open war had been declared between the fae and the demons, so Elena and Klaus shared a room with the rest of their team. And they were only lucky enough to have their own room because they were the Shadow Squad with the most kills.

Just then the door burst open and Bekah walked in, closely followed by Mason. "We got dinner," Klaus' baby sister said proudly.

"Cool. Anything good?" Elena asked, sick to her stomach of the protein gruel they had been eating almost every day for almost a year. All resources had gone into the war effort and some things, like fresh food that tasted good, were a mere memory.

"Well, there's the grey paste or some AB positive for the blood inclined in the room," Bekah said with a grin. Elena cocked an eyebrow and considered her options. As a fae, she could derive sustenance just as effectively from blood as from food. In fact, there were times when blood made her a lot stronger but the problem was that it could become addictive. However, a year of grey paste made the decision easy.

"AB positive, please," Elena said and Bekah looked at her.

"You sure?" she asked and when Elena nodded she handed her friend a can. "Come on, bro. Get up." Klaus groaned and sat up with Elena and Bekah's help. The women worriedly looked at each other. Elena opened the can in her hand and helped Klaus drink the blood down.

When he finished he was already starting to look better. His color had returned and he didn't look quite as exhausted. Elena picked up another can and drained it herself. Definitely a lot better than the grey paste Mason had to eat. She looked at the werewolf, feeling bad for him. Once everyone had finished eating, Elena decided it was time to discuss Klaus' brilliant plan.

"Nik has come up with a brilliant plan," Elena paused at Bekah and Mason's snort and chuckled, "for us to find out exactly how the Zerg are able to breach the barrier between dimensions so easily and how they can keep these rifts open for so long."

"Please, oh great one. Share your plan with us," Bekah mocked and both women broke out in a fit of giggles when Klaus growled. "Come on, move over you two and make some room for us," she said, gesturing to Klaus and Elena.

Everyone got comfortable on the bed, trying to get some much needed rest while they discussed what they should do next. Bekah sat on the bed, her back resting against the wall, while Elena lay down with her head resting in her friend's lap. Bekah absently stroked Elena's hair as she looked expectantly at her brother. Mason and Klaus were lying side by side, facing the two women. Elena plopped her feet in Mason's lap and batted her eyelashes at him.

"Foot rub, please?" she asked sweetly. Mason cocked an eyebrow.

"Get Nik to do it," he said, poking his tongue out at her.

"His shoulder is hurt," Elena protested and Mason groaned.

"Fine," he said as he started to massage her feet. They'd been a team for two and a half years and had been living together in the same room for almost a year. They were a family and trusted each other implicitly. They risked their lives every day and were dependent on each other to stay alive. It made for a very close relationship and living in such close quarters also meant that they didn't really have much to hide from each other anymore, either.

"So, as far as we've figured out, the Zerg are using some form of machine to create the rifts between dimensions, right?" Klaus began.

"Yeah, yeah, we know all this. Get on with it," Bekah said impatiently.

"So, what we need to do is find a way to close the rifts, which will mean finding the machine at the very least. According to one of my informants, it seems that only a few of the Zerg Overlords know the location of the machine and have the plans for it. The name I was given appears to be the easiest to get to because he is living in the mortal world under the guise of a music producer."

"Okay, so how do we get to him?" Mason asked.

"Well, as you all know, while Elena –"

"He wants us to go undercover in my band and suck up to what's his name is," Elena said with a huff as if it was the stupidest idea ever.

"Timothy Dredger," Klaus helpfully filled in.

"Sounds good to me," Mason said with a shrug and Bekah nodded.

"Great, so I'm just supposed to sweep in and take over my friends' lives, put them in danger and hope for the best?" Elena asked.

"No, because it will just be us dealing with him. They'll be kept well away from any dealings with the Zerg," Klaus reassured her.

"Nik, I can't just show up after two and a half years and demand that they let me back in," Elena said.

"I don't think they'll mind considering that we are trying to save the world," Bekah pointed out and Elena had to admit she had a point.

"Fine, but how can we be sure he'll even be interested in us?" Elena asked.

"It appears that Mr. Dredger has extensive appetites and that includes partying with the supernatural, especially if they are as twisted as he is," he said with a smirk.

"You should do just fine then," Mason said to Klaus and the girls burst out laughing.

"Hilarious, Mason. Anyway, the idea is to put ourselves out there, in the public eye getting up to all sorts of shit."

"Okay, but how exactly are we going to get away without anyone noticing? It's not as if we can disappear for three months and no one will notice," Elena asked. While they hadn't been able to clearly determine her father's involvement with the Zerg, they were convinced something was going on because the King refused to listen to the voice of reason. Instead of taking a strategic approach to the war and trying to find a way to stop the Zerg from coming through, he insisted on throwing the army against the Zerg, as if they were cannon fodder.

Unfortunately, the Zerg multiplied like insects and it was simply impossible to keep fighting like this. They simply didn't have the numbers, even though all supernatural factions had set aside their petty squabbles and were fighting side by side. They still weren't even making a dent. But still, her father thought that she and Klaus were insane, which was why he had demoted both of them so that they were mere soldiers now and couldn't influence the decision making process.

"I might have a solution to that," Bekah said. "But you might not like it," she continued as she looked down at Elena. "It seems that they are looking for a few volunteer squads to go to Earth because the Zerg have just opened up another rift but this one goes straight to the mortal world."

"Fuck!" Klaus exclaimed, followed by a "shit!" and "crap!" from Elena and Mason respectively. No one had realized the Zerg were so close to gaining access to Earth. They needed to be stopped.

"Anyway, it seems it's a pretty small rift at the moment, which is why they aren't too worried but we could volunteer to go," Bekah continued with a shrug.

"Brilliant," Klaus said, beaming.

"You said we wouldn't like it," Elena reminded her.

"Yeah, the location of the rift is in Mystic Falls." Mason and Bekah knew her history with a certain vampire in a certain town and they also knew that Katherine was likely to be there. Bekah had her own ax to grind with the vampire, after the way her brother suffered, but they all knew it would be hard for Elena to see Damon again, especially with Katherine.

"Uhm, saving the world trumps ex-boyfriends and awkward moments," Elena said confidently. "So, Mystic Falls it is then. Are we all agreed?" Everyone nodded.

"Damn, I'll be able to eat real food again," Mason said and everyone started laughing.

* * *

><p>A month and a lot of preparation later, Supernatural Storm was ready to step out on stage in their new reincarnation. Elijah had done a brilliant job of hyping everything up so that the media was in a frenzy but no one knew of Elena's return or that she and Klaus would be singing together. In fact, no one knew anything except for the people in the band.<p>

Elena smiled remembering her reunion with her brother. At first, when they had popped in to the mortal realm, Tyler, Caroline, Bonnie and even Jer and Elijah had stared at them and took a step back. It wasn't surprising, considering that the four of them had come across in full body armor, armed to the teeth. After all, they were also supposed to be fighting the Zerg that would try to gain access to the mortal realm via the local rift.

The four of them wore black, leather body suits, similar to those worn by race car drivers, except that these were magically reinforced to protect the wearer from most types of physical attack, whether it was magical or not. They each had guns strapped to both thighs, two swords on their backs and a hunting knife each in their boots. They also all carried a duffel bag each with various other types of spelled weaponry and ammunition. Unfortunately, the Zerg were unaffected by regular weaponry, which was why everything had to be magically imbued and why each Shadow Squad had to have at least one magic wielder, in this case Elena.

Moving in synch, they made an awe-inspiring and slightly frightening picture.

"Wow, sis, you're different," Jer said, eyebrows raised. Tyler, Caroline and Bonnie stared in shock, as this was a side of Elena they had never seen.

"Hey Jer," Elena said with a smile and hugged her brother. "I missed you," she said, ruffling his hair.

"Lena!" he whined, though he smiled. It was good to have her back.

"Uhm, okay, introductions. This is Jer, my brother and that's Tyler, Caroline and Bonnie. Klaus, or Nik as we call him, Mason and Bekah," Elena said, making the introductions.

"Hey Nik," Jer waved to the man behind Elena, who smiled at him.

"Good to see you Jer. So, shall we get settled before we attract too much attention?" His comment spurred everyone into action and within moments they were safely ensconced in a house that was right next to the woods where the opening of the rift had been reported, on the outskirts of Mystic Falls.

"Any activity at the rift?" Klaus asked Elijah. Though their relationship was still strained, Elena had reminded them that they were trying to save the world for everyone, so they could set their differences aside until the Zerg threat was eradicated. Then, they could go back to hating each other.

"Only one or two getting through every day, nothing I couldn't handle," the vampire answered confidently. Klaus nodded.

"Well, we're expecting that number to increase significantly over the next few weeks as they increase the size of the rift. We need to get set up," he said, looking at Elena, who nodded in response.

They had then set up magical sensors that would alert them any time the rift was active, allowing them to blink in and out to take care of any demons trying to get through. Since that day, their time had been spent between rehearsals, training and demon killing. Hopefully, their performance would be good enough to get them on Dredger's radar.

Elena looked up at Nik and winked. He was going on first, wearing a pair of faded jeans that hung low on his hips and a black pair of biker boots. When he had told Elena he was going to go on shirtless she had looked at him as if he was insane, even if he did have a chest that was absolutely drool-worthy. Then he reminded her of the role they were supposed to be playing, namely supernaturals with little care for the rules that had no inhibitions and strange desires and Elena shrugged. After all, it wouldn't be the first time she had gotten up close and personal with Klaus.

In fact, they had often slept together over the past two years. They had come to the logical decision that they both had needs to slake and one didn't have much of a choice in the middle of a war. They loved each other and had been together forever, so it wasn't such a major step for them. And they both had to admit that it was nice being with someone they could trust not to hurt them, even if that person wasn't The One. It was safer this way, for both of them. They were best friends and always would be, no matter what.

Elena wore a pair of thigh-high, stiletto boots and a dark red dress that barely reached mid-thigh, ending in jagged, uneven points that let more and more skin peak through, depending on how she moved. It had a plunging neckline that revealed a fair amount of cleavage and was help up by spaghetti straps. Her hair hung loose down her back and her only jewelry was an intricate bracelet that looked like a cobra wound around her arm, starting from her wrist all the way up to her shoulder. It glittered gold in the bright lights, tempting, beautiful, deadly, much like its wearer.

* * *

><p>Damon wondered how he had ended up in this position yet again, except this time he had been dragged by Lexi, Katherine and Stefan. The latter had wanted to support Caroline since this was the first live concert they were performing since Elena's departure and Katherine because she wanted to ogle Tyler and Jer. Lexi had come along as a favor to Stefan.<p>

Damon looked at Katherine, who was vibrating with barely contained excitement and he felt like throwing up. He had thought she was everything he could ever want and now he couldn't stand the sight of her. And it was all Elena's fault. That damn fae had ruined him for any other woman, even the one he had thought he loved for a century and a half.

Stefan looked at him and gave him a lopsided grin. Well, at least they were getting on pretty well, now, since Damon had taken his blinkers off concerning Katherine. Damon sighed and turned back towards the stage. He was a masochist. Of that he was certain. He knew Elena wouldn't be here but it was as if he felt the need to torment himself with her memory. Hell, she had left without a word and he still would give an arm and a leg just for a glimpse of her.

He snorted to himself. He'd been secretly pining for Elena for two years, ever since he had learned she was gone and he had woken up to the cruel reality that Katherine really was a selfish bitch, no matter how much she pretended otherwise. He really was ridiculous. Maybe he was destined to never fine the one for him but to always be pining for someone. He shook his head to clear the ridiculous thoughts and tried to focus on the stage.

The lights darkened, violins started playing … violins? Since when? Damon wondered. And then the spotlight came on, causing the four of them to gasp.

"What the fuck?" Damon breathed, looking at Stefan who just shrugged.

"Shit, it's Klaus," he heard Katherine say.

What the hell was Klaus doing on stage with Elena's former band? And why the hell was he half naked? Hadn't the guy heard of wearing shirts? And then he started to sing and Damon had to grudgingly admit that he was good. Hell, judging by the reaction of the crowd, especially the women, he was better than good.

_And you said nothing at all  
>Well I couldn't have said it better myself<br>Tonight the conversation takes the fall  
>Just love me like you love nobody else<br>_

Half the stadium must have swooned by this point and Damon was getting more and more irritated, though he couldn't really figure out why. Maybe it was because this piece of shit was trying to take Elena's place?

_Little lady, I think there's something  
>on your mind<br>I've known you long enough to know  
>The words are not that hard to find<em>

_And the harder you try and the_  
><em>longer you go<em>  
><em>Well there's nothing but love in those<em>  
><em>eyes anymore<em>  
><em>You know what to say but you<em>  
><em>never know how<em>  
><em>You can keep your mouth shut because it<em>  
><em>doesn't really matter right now<em>

_I will guide you all the way_  
><em>Because I know exactly what you're<em>  
><em>trying to say<em>

Damon took a closer look at the band and saw that there were another two members he had never seen before. A guy playing the piano and a girl on the violin. So that's where the violins were from. 

_You have the right to remain silent_  
><em>I'll get the lights... you get that smile<em>  
><em>and you say nothing at all<em>  
><em>Well I couldn't have said it better myself<em>  
><em>Tonight the conversation takes the fall<em>  
><em>Just love me like you love nobody else<em>

Suddenly the stage went pitch black except for the spotlight on Klaus, who extended his hand out to the right. A woman's hand reached into the light, nails painted bright red, and curled into Klaus' hand. The entire stadium was holding their breaths, Damon included.

_I see the angels, they're standing  
>right outside your door<em>

As he sang, Klaus pulled on the hand and the woman twirled, ending up with her back flush against his chest, her head bowed. As he sang the last word, she lifted her head and Elena belted out the next verse as the crowd went absolutely insane.

_They're watching over me, they're  
>watching over us all<em>

Damon's mouth literally fell open. His heart raced, his breathing became labored as he watched her. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. His world had reduced to one spotlight in which the woman of his dreams stood… being held by another vampire, a fact that had Damon's fangs extending in anger.

_You can send them home tonight, because you  
>won't need them anymore<em>

Elena sang with all her heart as Klaus held her and she clung to him. It had been so long since she had been up on stage and she had to admit she had missed it. It was such a rush, having the crowd drinking in your every word and going wild, begging for more. Judging by Klaus' wide grin, he was having just as much fun as she was. It had been a long time since they had been able to let go.

_In your arms I think I've found the  
>safest place to fall<em>

She turned, walking away from Klaus, as if daring him to follow her. She spun around and they began to sing to each other, their voices full of emotion, perfectly playing the part of a couple in love.

_When I step in the door and I stare at  
>your face<br>There are so many things that I wish  
>I could say<br>Well I struggle with words but they put  
>up a fight<br>You can keep your mouth shut, because it  
>doesn't really matter tonight<em>

Klaus reached out a hand, grabbing her waist and pulling her flush against him as he sang to her, causing the crowd to roar in approval.

_I will guide you all the way tonight  
>Because I know exactly what you're<br>trying to say  
><em>  
>Elena sang to him, one hand on his shoulder, while she held a finger to his lips and winked at the audience.<p>

_You have the right to remain silent  
>I'll get the light... you get that smile<br>and you say nothing at all_

They both turned, walking away from each other, singing together as they walked to opposite ends of the stage.  
><em><br>Well I couldn't have said it better myself  
>Tonight the conversation takes the fall<br>Just love me like love nobody else_

_And I know you feel the same_  
><em>You've been searching for the words,<em>  
><em>Now you know what to say<em>

_Just say nothing - Don't say a word  
>Silence is gold - Don't say a word<br>_

Klaus sang as he stalked back towards Elena, crooking a finger at her, asking her to come to him. She smiled and complied, walking straight into his arms. He turned her so she stood with her back against him and he held her tight as they sang.

_This is the moment we've been waiting for_

_If I exercise my right  
>I will take your body language and hold it<br>against you tonight  
><em>  
><em>And I know you feel the same<br>I've wondered all my life, if this moment comes  
>would I know what to say<br>Then you say nothing at all  
>So many times I stumbled on the<br>words I wanted to say  
>You say nothing at all<br>So many thoughts, that I should  
>have just let my heart explain<br>You say nothing at all  
>So many ways we could turn the<br>words around  
>You say nothing at all<br>So many nights our hearts came  
>crashing to the ground<br>You say nothing at all  
>So many dreams that are finally<br>coming true  
>Well, I couldn't have said it better myself<br>Now you finish me off when you  
>finish my thoughts the way you do<br>_  
><em>You say nothing at all<br>Well I couldn't have said it better myself  
>Tonight the conversation takes the fall<br>Just love me like love nobody else_

When the song ended the crowd went wild. They were both breathing hard and staring at each other in surprise. They separated, laughing and bowed to the crowd, who were almost delirious, chanting the band's name and Elena's name.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the welcome," Elena said. "It's great to be back and now I'd like to introduce you to the amazing Nik Smith, my partner." The audience screamed their approval and quite a few pair of panties were thrown on stage, much to Klaus' consternation. Elena burst out laughing at the look on his face.

* * *

><p>Damon was certain that his jaw was permanently locked in the same position as he tried to hold back the change. Watching Elena on stage with Klaus had driven him beyond the point of reason. He could feel his blood boiling and his inner demon clawing at his innards to get out and rip its mate away from the interloper. <em>Mine<em>, it howled and Damon agreed. The fucking bastard had his hands all over her. She'd be covered in his scent, not Damon's and it made him livid.

Why was she touching him? Why was she all over Klaus? Katherine's whispered comments weren't doing anything to help either.

"They must be lovers," she said at one point.

"Look at how they move. They look so in love," she said a little later on a sigh. Each comment served to drive Damon closer and closer to the point where his control would snap. He looked at her, suspicious that she was actually trying to goad him into making a mistake but her face revealed nothing. The bitch, he thought to himself.

* * *

><p>Lexi stared at the stage, watching the man singing and had the sudden urge to jump on the stage and throw herself into his arms. Would he hold her like he held that woman? Would he protect her with those strong arms of his? Would he make love to her until she screamed? Lexi shook her head, trying to clear away the fantasies. Down girl, she thought to herself.<p>

He was a fine piece of man but she didn't stand a chance in hell, not with the way the two of them were so into each other. She sighed and looked over at Damon. Her eyes widened, seeing him practically vibrating with fury and his face flickering back and forth between his human and vampire face, almost as if someone had short-circuited him. She elbowed Stefan and nodded at Damon.

At Stefan's grin, Lexi looked at him as if he'd completely lost his mind. "That's Elena," Stefan whispered.

"The Elena," Lexi asked, eyes widening. So, this was the woman that had Damon tied up in knots, though he refused to admit it. Lexi had to grin. Maybe tall, strong and handsome was free after all. Suddenly, she frowned and turned to Stefan as she remembered something.

"Did you ever tell Damon that she came for him? And why she came for him?" she asked quietly, trying not to attract the bitch's – oops, she meant Katherine's – attention. When Stefan shook his head, she rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to slap him upside the head.

"You are a moron!" she hissed at him.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, the four of them were making their way backstage, much to Katherine's displeasure. While she didn't want Damon knowing anything, she was terrified of coming face to face with Elena and Klaus at the same time. It was not conducive to the continuity of her existence. Before she could protest, though, Damon was dragging her behind him and she had to follow or make a scene.<p>

Damon dragged Katherine behind him, hating the fact that she was even present. All he could think of was Elena. He wanted to touch her, to taste her, to smell her, to feel her skin under his fingertips. He was desperate. He no longer cared that she hadn't said good-bye. He just needed to feel her, to see her looking up at him with those beautiful eyes of hers that had never held a hint of judgment or disgust.

When they arrived backstage, though, other than Caroline, Tyler, Bonnie and Klaus, no one was there. Damon fought the rising panic. Where the hell was she? She couldn't have left again, could she?

Klaus rounded on them, his smile feral as he looked at Katherine. "Katerina," he said inclining his head. Katherine just stood there, completely silent, which showed exactly how much she feared the hybrid.

"Nik!" Both Klaus and Damon turned towards the sound of the voice and there she was. Just like a vision but really here. Damon was fighting the urge to rush to her and scoop her up in his arms when she glanced at him. He saw her eyes widen and then Elena's gaze fell on Katherine, looked back at him and her face turned into a mask of indifference.

"Something up, Lena?" he heard Klaus ask her. What the hell was with the pet names? Damon gnashed his teeth in annoyance.

"We got an alert. We've got to go," she said. Klaus immediately ran towards her and they disappeared down the corridor, leaving Damon standing there. She had completely ignored him! How could she? Damon's hands fisted by his sides and he turned to stalk out when he heard a quiet discussion between Stefan and Caroline.

"Where are they going?" his brother asked the blonde vampire.

"Mystic Falls. They're staying at the old Forbes mansion," Caroline explained.

"Why are they staying all the way out there?" Stefan asked perplexed.

"Because it's the closest place to the rift, which Nik claims to be close to the center of the forest."

"Rift?" Stefan asked.

"For goodness sakes. I can't tell you all this stuff. I hardly understand it myself. Let's just say that they're protecting us from a lot of bad and nasty things," Caroline said with a huff. Stefan nodded and turned to Lexi, who followed him. They were going to find out exactly what Elena and her friends were up to.

Damon tugged Katherine's hand, following his brother. He looked at the woman following him and wondered for the thousandth time how he could get rid of her.

* * *

><p>A combination of vampire speed and sheer determination saw the Salvatore brothers and their companions arriving at the clearing Caroline mentioned ten minutes later. Upon seeing it devoid of life, the looked at each other, wondering if Caroline hadn't made a mistake.<p>

"Maybe we should have gone to the mansion first," Stefan whispered. Lexi shook her head.

"No way, they'd be able to sense us right away," Lexi said and Damon nodded in agreement. Katherine simply glowered. She didn't want to be there but didn't have much choice, thanks to that stupid deal she had made with Elena years before.

As they all looked at each other, wondering what to do, a loud rumbling started in the clearing and they all turned to look. What appeared before them was something that was more horrifying than any horror film ever made and even made the vampires shrink back. A contorted mass of decaying flesh that was vaguely humanoid in shape, oozing puss and slime, with sharp, steel teeth in its muzzle-like mouth appeared in the center of the space. It's orange-red eyes scanned its surroundings and it grimaced, in what Damon supposed was meant to imitate a smile. The stench coming off the thing would be enough to knock out a dozen vampires at a hundred yards, Damon thought to himself as he tried to ignore the disgusting smell.

A few seconds later, four more creatures appeared, three of which were identical to the first, while the last made an icy shiver run down Damon's spine. The creature was nothingness. Pure nothingness. At first glance, one would be tempted to say that it was black and humanoid, but when looking closer, it was simply nothing. It had no shape, no mass, no nothing and looking at it was like looking into the vastness of nothing, making them all realize insignificant they were. Why fight? There was no point in fighting? They would all die in the end anyway.

Damon shook his head, trying to clear the stray thoughts from his mind. At that very moment, four people just appeared in the clearing, dressed in black leather body suits and they were all armed to the teeth.

"Bloody hell, they smell worse every time," a female voice with a distinct British accent said.

"Stop complaining and let's get on with it," Klaus answered. "Elena?" he said with a questioning look and Damon watched as she took up position directly in front of the darker demon. She appeared to chant something, her arms outspread. She quickly brought them together and a light flashed from her palms and slammed into the creature, which seemed to scream in pain.

"It's not going anywhere. I bound it to this plane and location. Let's take care of the stinky guard," Elena said while staring at the other four creatures which had already started to rush the four people in the clearing. They moved surprisingly quickly for the way they looked.

Damon watched guns being drawn and cocked, bullets being fired and yet the creatures continued to advance, apparently unaffected. "Damn it, Nik, what are these fuckers?" Elena shouted as she ran towards one of the creatures, both swords drawn. She threw herself on the floor, on her back and used what little magic she had left to propel her between the legs of one of the creatures, slicing through muscle, bone and tendon. It screamed, making a horrifying sound and fell to the ground. Elena jumped up and tried to slice it's head off, but it caught hold of her blades and stopped her from delivering the final blow.

Elena growled angrily, but realized that she'd never win in a competition of brute strength. So, she pretended to give up, turning away from the creature. At that second, it put its arms down, thinking it was free and Elena flashed around and chopped it's head off. She looked in horror as the body continued to struggle, trying to reach her, to destroy its target. With a single word and an extended palm, Elena set the body on fire and turned her attention to Klaus.

He was vaulting over one of the creatures, turning his body in midair and then landing on the creature's back, pushing his sword through the top of its head and down into its body. He rolled as the corpse fell to the ground, yanking his sword from the creature's head. "Lena," was all he needed to say for Elena to extend her hand and set the corpse ablaze.

The screaming and thrashing of the shadow demon drew their attention. They had to deal with it before it got away. "Help Mason and Bekah," she said to Klaus. "I've got this."

"You sure?"

"Yes, now go," she urged and saw him run over to help the other two from the corner of her eye. She faced the creature she had bound to the mortal realm and an evil grin curled her lips. She drew her swords, quietly whispering words of Power, words that would give the swords the power they needed to send the shadow demon to a realm it could never leave, a realm that existed outside time and space, a place where it would be unable to harm anyone ever again.

She started picking up speed until she was running at the creature. Much like Klaus, she vaulted over the creature, except when she twisted midair and started to descent, she dropped into the creature rather than on it. If she hadn't been used to the feeling of nothingness, of emptiness, of depression then she might have been impressed, but that wasn't the case. She had a job to do and that was to get this dirt bag out of this realm, which she proceeded to do with relish by slicing the demon up from the inside out.

Moments later, she tumbled to the cold, hard ground of the forest, panting. She looked to the side and saw that none of the creatures were standing. She extended her hand and set the other corpses ablaze as she tried to slow her breathing.

"What the hell were those?" she asked Klaus without moving from her very comfortable position.

"I have no idea, but we need to find out. The seemed impervious to any of our bullets and considering we had everything from ultraviolet light to vervaine, wolfsbane and anything else we had. This looks really bad. If they can get through anything, then they can get through our defenses and overrun everything. We need to stop this."

"Crap! And they've only started coming through," Bekah said with a groan as she joined the other two in the clearing.

Mason helped Elena stand and she quickly brushed herself off. A small noise made her jerk her head up as she peered into the darkness beyond the clearing. She sighed and shook her head. Stefan, you guys better come out now," she said in annoyance.

* * *

><p>"Shit, we've been made," Stefan said with a sigh. He walked into the clearing, looking properly apologetic and more than sheepish. Elena grinned at him.<p>

"Have fun?" she asked Stefan but turned her gaze away from Damon as if he didn't exist. She couldn't look at him and watch Katherine fawning over him without her heart breaking.

"What the hell were those things?" Stefan asked.

"It's a very long story but let's just say they're vicious, nasty and wanted to kill every living thing," Klaus said by way of explanation.

"What he said," Elena smiled and gestured to Klaus.

"We want to help," Lexi said, making Elena laugh.

"Oh, we could use the help alight, but I don't know how long you'll last. You're young compared to us, so quite a bit weaker. You'll probably end up dinner before you even see one of the Zerg."

"Come on, I'm not that weak," Lexi insisted.

"Hey, if you want to help then that's cool with us. We need all the help we can get," Klaus said.

"I'm not interested. I'm not risking my life for a bunch of humans," Katherine said with a growl. Klaus and Elena rounded on her at practically the same instant.

"Then get the fuck out of here before we remember there's a price on your head," Klaus growled. Katherine worried at her lip and looked at Elena, a question in her eyes.

"Do you release me from the deal?" she asked.

"Yes," at Katherine's sigh of relief, Elena reminded her, "but remember that it makes you fair game and it was your choice." Katherine nodded. "Fine, now get the hell out of here. I need a stiff drink, or three," she said with a smile when Bekah, Mason and Klaus nodded in agreement. "Everyone, put a hand on Elena," Klaus told the three remaining vampires.

Moments later they were standing in the living room of the Forbes mansion. Elena fell backwards onto the couch and moaned in satisfaction. "Man, that was tiring," she said, smiling at Klaus when he handed her a glass. He sat behind her and she turned to lie with her head in his lap, her legs hanging off the edge of the couch. She knocked her drink back in one go and groaned.

"So, how can we help?" Lexi asked.

Klaus smiled at her. "How about we all get some rest and talk about it in the morning?" he said and Lexi quickly agreed. They looked really tired and after that display, they had more than earned some downtime.

"I can't move," Elena said with a sigh.

"Come on," Klaus said as he stood and picked her up. She looped her arms around his neck as he headed towards the stairs, Mason and Bekah on his heels.

Damon watched the interaction, seething at Elena being touched by another man. He wanted to attack and rip the interloper's throat out but he knew he stood little chance against two Original vampires and a werewolf. That didn't stop him from trying to claim what was his, though.

"I'll take her," he said, as he slipped in front of Klaus, blocking his path. The hybrid looked at him, his eyes turning amber as his teeth elongated. His curled his lip in a warning snarl.

"Get the fuck out of my way. You have no rights here," he growled at the young vampire.

"Nik, I'm tired," Elena said, ignoring Damon completely.

However, Damon still stood his ground. She was his and he would take her to bed and look after her. He found himself being dragged aside by someone. When he tried to follow Klaus, he found he couldn't move. He looked down to see a feminine hand holding him still. He looked up to see Bekah staring at him in disgust.

"Leave her alone, Damon," Bekah warned. She didn't want to see her best friend hurt by a moron who apparently couldn't tell the difference between a real relationship and a sham with a psychotic bitch.

"She's mine," Damon growled, making Bekah laugh.

"Really? You move fast. I thought I saw you with Katherine a little while ago," she said, reminding him of the other woman. He growled. That bitch kept on fucking up his life in one way or another. "Leave her alone. You got what you wanted, you spent two years living in bliss with the love of your life. So, I suggest you run along and increase that number because we have more important things to deal with." The implication was clear. He had been fucking around while they had been risking their lives. He hunched his shoulders and stalked outside. As he was about to leave, knowing there was little he could do at that moment, he looked up and saw a light in one of the bedroom windows.

He quickly climbed the tree and looked in at the scene. Klaus was curled protectively around Elena, Mason spooned Bekah from behind, while the two women lay face to face, holding hands. He felt his heart plummet. They had a bond he could never be a part of. How could he. They had clearly been through so much together.

He doubled over in pain as his demon clawed at his insides, reiterating the idea that Elena was theirs. The demon was not willing to back down. It wanted to fight for the woman that was his perfect match. Damon stared at the scene before him once more, dejected. Did he even stand a chance?

* * *

><p>AN: Just wanted to mention that the song is Meatloaf's Couldn't Have Said it Better and I really recommend you listen to it. It's absolutely totally awesome :)...


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, this is a long chapter. I'm half asleep here so sorry for the short note. I pushed to finish this tonight and have it up for you but now I feel like I could sleep for a week lol**

* * *

><p>Damon stalked into the boarding house, his mood extremely volatile, going from depression to outright fury. How dare they judge him? What the hell did they know? He hadn't had a clue what was going on. All he knew was that Katherine had suddenly decided to move in and that Elena had disappeared at one point.<p>

Fuck it! She was the one who kept running out on him. And yeah, he might have had a slight obsession with a certain selfish bitch but Elena was the one who had walked away without even a good-bye. She had been gone for two and a half years, for fuck's sake!

The logical side of him knew that it had probably been for the best. If Katherine hadn't moved in then he would never have been able to move on. It sounded stupid. Moving on once he had what he had always wanted. But the fact was that he had never known the real Katherine and living with her for so long had opened his eyes. Hell, after the first few months he had barely been able to stand being in the same room with her but some sense of obligation, no matter how stupid, made him stick through it, especially after he had driven his brother nuts moping and obsessing over the woman.

He had been living in denial for so long and seeing Elena again had made him realize what he really wanted. What he really needed. He needed her and he'd be damned if he let anyone stand in his way this time.

But first thing's first. He had to get Katherine out of the way. Decision made, he stalked up to his room. He opened the door and found Katherine packing her bags.

"What are you doing?" he growled. Even though it was exactly what he wanted, the bitch out of his life, he hadn't expected to find her packing.

"I'm getting out of here," she said in a huff.

"Excuse me," he said, looking at her blankly.

"You think I haven't seen the way you look at her?" Katherine screeched at him. Shit! He hadn't realized he was quite that transparent.

"Her who?" he feigned innocence, though by the way Katherine snarled at him, he hadn't been all that successful.

"That bitch Elena!" she screamed at him. "I don't know why the hell I put up with your crap," she grumbled, throwing clothes into the open suitcases.

"Whoa! What the hell is your problem? I just looked. I didn't do anything," Damon was starting to get pissed off. The woman had serious issues. First she doesn't want anything to do with him for a century, then has a sudden change of heart and now is acting betrayed.

"You know what? You can look all you like because I am out of here. And I'll be laughing my ass off because she doesn't give a crap about you," Katherine said with a snarl.

"What the hell are you talking about? How would you know what she does or doesn't feel?" Damon snapped, Katherine's words serving to stoke the embers of doubt that had been smoldering in his gut after Elena's earlier dismissal of him.

"Do you know that she asked me to stay with you? She asked me to stick around," she said with a cruel laugh.

Damon felt like a fish out of water. "When? Why?" was all he could utter.

"She came here two and a half years ago asking me to stay with you. Probably so she could get rid of you," Katherine sneered. "Hell, if you don't believe me, ask Stefan?"

Damon felt his heart constrict. Elena had come to the house? Stefan had known. She asked Katherine to stay? What the hell was it with people trying to control his life?

"You're telling me that the past two years was a lie? You only stayed because she asked you to? Please Katherine, since when do you do anything out of the goodness of your heart," he snarled back at her.

"Uh, yes, it damn well was. Why would I want to tie myself down to some pathetic vampire looking for love," she sneered. "Don't you get it? No one will ever love you. You're damaged. Broken. And you'll always be second best," she said, going for the jugular.

"You little bitch," he hissed at her, trying to hide the pain under a mask of fury. "You never loved me, did you?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"No, I never did. You were a bit of fun but nothing else. Stefan, on the other hand, now him I did love but he never wanted me, so you were the alternative," Katherine said with a shrug, her voice flat as if she was discussing the weather and not ripping his heart out.

"Get the fuck out of this house! Now!" he roared.

"Or what? Remember, I'm older and you don't stand a chance in hell of taking me on. So, I suggest you shut your mouth and let me finish packing. I'll be out of here soon enough," she said, waving airily.

Damon growled but knew she was right. So, he left the room, slamming the door behind him so hard that the walls rattled. He stalked back downstairs, grabbed a bottle of bourbon and threw himself down on the couch.

He took a swig and let his mind wander. What Katherine had said had hurt. It had hurt because he saw the truth in her words. All his life he had been second best and had searched for love and acceptance, even when he didn't realize it, but he had never found what he wanted. He had lived a lie for two years and, if he were honest with himself, he had known he was living a lie. His obsession with Katherine had disappeared after she whined the sixth time that she was bored. Considering she tended to whine twenty times a day, it hadn't taken him long to figure it out.

But what hurt more than anything was the fact that Elena didn't want him and had gone so far as to ask Katherine to stay with him just to get away. And Stefan had known she had been there but hadn't said a word. The bitch was right. He was always going to be second best. He didn't deserve love and he would never find it. Maybe he should just flip the fucking switch and to hell with the lot of them. Living without pain, guilt and loneliness was so much easier.

* * *

><p>Elena groaned as she rolled over and stuck her head under the pillow. It was too damn bright out and she felt like she had been run over by a truck. No, make that a fleet of trucks. She grimaced. Klaus would probably say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Right. She groaned again as she lifted one corner of the pillow and peaked out, trying to see what time it was.<p>

She blew out an annoyed breath. The angle wasn't right. It looked like she was going to have to face the sun. She closed her eyes and came up for air. She slowly opened one eye and then the next. Great, it was already four in the afternoon.

She thought back to the previous night, trying to sort her memories out and figure out why she had slept so long. She definitely hadn't been that drunk, she thought to herself. And then the memories came flooding back. At least, part of them.

The concert, the fight, Katherine. Damn it. She had forgotten that it took a lot more strength to perform her magic in the mortal realm, especially when she had to use so much of it. Damn, damn, damn. She was going to have to change her diet or at least supplement it with blood. Klaus was going to have to tap a vein, though she knew he wouldn't mind. She snorted, no he definitely wouldn't mind she thought with a giggle.

The fae could survive eating regular food but blood gave them an extra edge, it made them stronger. And, the more powerful the blood donor, the more impact the blood would have. So, she was going to have to start drinking some every day or she'd be comatose before the week was out.

She thought back to the previous night again, irritated that she couldn't exactly remember what had happened after the fight. She remembered talking to Katherine, telling her to piss off, or something along those lines. She remembered the fiery taste of the scotch but that was about it. She could remember vague flashes of Klaus, Stefan and some blond chick but that was about it. Great, she was losing her mind.

Ah, and she definitely remembered seeing Damon earlier in the evening with Katherine hanging on to him. He was happy with Katherine, if the lust rolling off Damon in waves had been any indication. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch.

She knew she had no right to be jealous. After all, she had been the one to leave him, repeatedly, in fact. But when she had finally gotten up the courage to take the plunge and commit to more, she had gone to see him only to find he was with the woman he loved with all his heart and soul, or so Stefan's mental broadcasts had indicated. Stefan's opinion of Katherine, though it coincided with her own, had been irrelevant at the time. So, she had decided to do something she knew she might later regret. She decided to make sure Damon got exactly what he had always wanted. At least she knew she hadn't hurt him with her disappearing act. He was happy. But it didn't mean it hadn't hurt.

It had taken every ounce of her strength to pretend she didn't care that he had been standing right there, a few feet from her. It had taken almost everything out of her to hide the searing pain in her heart, which was why she would be avoiding Damon like the plague for the foreseeable future. At least until she got herself under control. There was no way she could keep all this up if she also had to control volatile emotions on top of fighting demons, singing, going undercover and whatever else she had to do.

So, with a shrug, she decided to push Damon to the back of her mind. She couldn't afford the distraction anymore or it would get her team killed and that she would not allow. No matter who it was, she would allow no one to hurt her friends, whether by design or by accident.

She listened intently, trying to pinpoint where everyone was, but the house seemed pretty quiet. She sighed. It was time to get out of bed, so she swung her legs over and stood, stretching until every muscle and bone in her body popped.

Ten minutes later she was dressed, ready to face the world. She went downstairs and found Bekah in the living room, sitting on the couch, watching True Blood, of all things. "Mornin'," Elena said with a laugh.

Bekah just grinned at her and motioned her to shush, pointing at the screen. Elena understood her friend's reaction perfectly, her lips forming a perfect 'o'. She threw herself on the couch next to Bekah and stared intently. Sookie was _finally_ getting it on with Eric.

"God, I would so bang him," Bekah moaned.

"That is definitely one fine piece of Viking ass," Elena proclaimed.

"Maybe I should find the actor and turn him. Then we could have some real fun," Bekah said with a wicked grin. "You know, like we used to." Elena looked at her friend curiously, one eyebrow cocked.

"You know, that might not be such a bad idea," she replied with the same wicked look on her face, which made Bekah laugh. "Damn, he's tall," Elena breathed and Bekah turned back to the screen as they both became immersed in the wonderful world of Eric Northman.

"How could Sookie have ever dated Beehl?" Bekah asked.

"She must be blind. Maybe even a bit stupid. Though I have to give it to her that she did wise up in the end," Elena said and Bekah nodded sagely, in full agreement.

"Wouldn't have taken me as long, though," Bekah said with a giggle.

"Hell, no. I would have been all over the Northman the second time I saw him," Elena replied with a wide grin.

"The second time?" Bekah asked, knowing her friend much too well to accept her statement as truth.

"Fine, I would have probably jumped his bones after the first handshake," Elena said and both girls burst out laughing.

"I'm glad you're okay," Bekah said, suddenly serious. "You had us worried last night. I'd never seen you so out of it," her voice betraying the fear they must have all felt.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. It's just that doing magic in the mortal realm always takes more out of me than when we're home. And those things that came through last night were a lot stronger than normal," Elena said worriedly.

"Yeah, Nik and Mason have gone off to Lamarthil to try and find out if anyone knows anything. Hopefully Michael will be able to help," Bekah said. "So, are you going to be feeding from us on a regular basis now?" she asked hopefully.

Elena burst out laughing. "It looks like I'm going to have to if I want to stay in the game," she said with a wink. "But don't worry, I won't be bothering you. I'll just get Nik to tap a vein for me."

"Come on!" Bekah whined. "You always choose him. It's not fair," she said with a pout. Elena couldn't help laughing.

The bite of the fae, especially one of royal blood, was something exquisitely and painfully pleasurable. It was nature's way of ensuring the royal bloodline would always survive because one bite ensured that they would never, ever be refused again. Like regular vampires, their bite could become addictive, but they could control it. In the olden days it had been used as a way to ensure loyalty but nowadays it was mainly used between mated pairs to heighten their pleasure and as a sign of a permanent bond, as they became addicted to each other's bite.

"Alright, alright," Elena said raising her hands. "I'll feed from both of you," she said and Bekah smiled widely. "In fact, I could use a quick bite right now."

Bekah didn't even hesitate. She moved so fast that she actually caused a draft. Her wrist was in front of Elena's face before she had even uttered the last word. Elena had to laugh. "Eager much?" she asked.

"Hell, yeah," Bekah said with a grin. Elena allowed her fangs to lengthen, as her eyes changed color. "Man, you are so hot when you do that. Can you do the wings, please?"

"In here? You gonna clean up the mess after?" Elena asked. There was no way she could open up her wings without knocking half the room over. "I'll tell you what. We'll go out into the woods with a ton of booze, music and have a real girl's night. Okay?"

"That's the best idea I've heard all year." Bekah said with a grin.

"Now, would you please shut up so I can have breakfast," Elena growled. Bekah grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

Elena brought Bekah's wrist up to her lips and delicately licked the thin skin that covered her pumping veins. Both girls moaned at the contact as they felt each other's power pulsating throughout their bodies. Elena gently nipped the skin without piercing it and soothed the bite with another little lick. Bekah groaned, "I'd forgotten what a tease you were."

"You love it," Elena whispered with a smile a moment before she smoothly sank her fangs into the Original's wrist. Bekah's back arched as she was consumed by an erotic fire that raced through her veins, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

Elena gently sucked on Bekah's wrist and moaned when the blood hit her tongue. It was intoxicating, powerful and so arousing. Not only could she feel the girl's lust and need through her blood but each of Bekah's moans only served to spike her own lust.

Soon Bekah was panting and begging for more. "God, Elena," she whimpered, "don't stop!" Moments later, she screamed as pure ecstasy flared in the center of her body, exploding outwards in a blaze so intense she didn't think her skin could contain it. It was incredible. It was amazing. And she wanted more. She watched Elena as she gently licked her wrist, wiping away any remnants of blood.

Just then, both girl heard a male voice say, "And that's why life sucks and isn't fair. Lena never feeds on my cuz I'm a weak-ass werewolf." Bekah and Elena burst out laughing at the pout on Mason's face, though Klaus understood him perfectly. Elena's bite was out of this world.

"Mason, sweetie, Elena doesn't feed from you because you're a mangy mutt, not because you're weak," Bekah said with an innocent expression on her face.

"Yup, it's absolutely true. I just hate getting hair in my teeth," she said with a straight face, trying hard to contain her laughter.

"Oh, I'm so going to get the two of you for that," Mason growled as he began to strip. Both girls jumped to their feet, their eyes wide. "Nik, you got my back?"

"Damn right I do," he said with a grin as they both started to shift into their wolves. Elena and Bekah looked at each other and grinned.

"Oooh, look, Elena, it's the doggie patrol. A couple of bones and a bowl of kibble each and they'll be in heaven," Bekah said to a laughing Elena.

"I know. Let's scratch their tummies and see if we can get their back legs to go," Elena said with a grin, making Bekah laugh even harder at the thought of the two wolves and the involuntary response. Both wolves growled at the women, sounding quite affronted. Of course, this only served to make them laugh even harder, until tears were running down their faces.

"Guys, there's absolutely no way you can look dignified with your tongues hanging out of your mouths," Elena gasped. The wolves launched themselves over the couch, towards the girls but it was too late. The second their muscles had tensed to make the jump, the girls had been running out of the room squealing.

The wolves looked at each other and shook their heads at each other.

_It's good to see them laugh,_ Nik said.

_I agree. And it's nice to just let go and relax,_ Mason responded.

_So, shall we?_ Nik said and Mason immediately sprang into action, running after the girls.

Elena and Bekah ran into the woods as fast as they could, still laughing. After a few miles, which only took them a few minutes to travel, they had to stop because they were laughing too hard to go on.

"I swear, we're never going to hear the end of this, but it was worth it," Elena said, giggling.

"I know! Did you see Mason's face when you said you don't want to get fur in your teeth? He looked like a blow fish," Bekah laughed. The image of Mason as a blow fish made them both laugh even harder, until they were doubled over.

A noise startled them and they looked up just in time to see two huge, tan colored wolves leap into the clearing. Elena and Bekah both put their hands up in surrender, but the wolves wouldn't stop.

"Mason, Nik, don't you dare," they both warned. "No, no, stay back. Come on you two. Down boys."

"Sit," Bekah tried. "Roll over, Nik. Play dead, Mason." It only got them laughing again and in that instant the two wolves pounced, knocking them both over. They stood victorious, with their front paws framing the girl's shoulders, tails wagging and tongues hanging out.

"God, Nic, you're drooling on me. That's so disgusting," Bekah complained to her brother.

"Mason!" Elena wailed as the wolf dropped his head and gave her face a lick with his huge tongue. "That's so gross, it's not funny." It only made the wolf wag his tail even harder.

Just then, two vampires rushed into the clearing, clearly ready to do battle. Instantly Klaus jumped off Bekah and they both faced the vampires only to realize it was Stefan and Lexi.

"You okay Bekah?" Stefan asked, looking slightly confused between her, the wolf and Elena lying on the floor with another wolf on her.

"Oh, hi Stefan. Sure, we're fine. Just having a little fun," she said with a smile but Stefan still looked a little unsure. "This is Klaus," she said pointing to the wolf and comprehension finally dawned. She glanced at Lexi and noticed her studying her brother rather intently, even as a wolf. The wheels started turning. Interesting. Maybe, just maybe…

"Mason, get your furry, fat ass off me now!" Elena grumbled, making everyone in the clearing laugh. Just then Klaus decided to shift back into human form, much to Lexi's enthusiasm and Bekah's disgust. Stefan suddenly found the sky to be fascinating.

"Gawd, Nik! I'm going to go blind. Go get some clothes on," Bekah said but Klaus just ignored her, as usual.

"I swear Mason, if you don't get off me now, I'm telling every eligible woman within a 100 mile radius that you are gay," she said in warning. The wolf whined and looked up at Klaus, asking a silent question.

"Don't look at me, man. Last time I crossed her I had blue balls for a decade. She started a rumor that I had a sexual disease that caused boils and warts," he said as he glared at Elena who just snickered. "As you can imagine, it didn't go over well." Stefan, Lexi and Bekah howled with laughter. "So, I suggest you move your ass because she's a menace. Seriously." Mason quickly jumped off Elena and lay down in front of her, rolling over on his back in a show of submission.

"Coward," Klaus whispered and Elena just laughed. As she got to her feet, she turned to Stefan and Lexi.

"Hi guys," she said with a smile.

"Nik, go get some damn clothes on," Bekah growled again. Klaus' response was to reach out a hand, grab Elena and pull her against him.

"What are you doing?" Elena snapped at him. He just grinned unrepentantly.

"I'm covering myself up," he said with a proud smile as if his idea had been pure genius. Elena rolled her eyes.

"You couldn't have just gotten some clothes, could you?"

"That wouldn't have been any fun, now would it?" he asked as he squeezed her tighter against him.

"Bekah, please give your brother a slap upside the head. I think he's been sucking on exhaust pipes again. Sweety, I told you that you'd end up frying your last few brain cells if you didn't stop," she said in an overly sweet voice, a smirk gracing her features.

Of course, Bekah complied and slapped Klaus one upside the head. "Ow!" he whined. "You two are impossible when you're together," he said in a huff. "Fine, I'm going. I'll see you at home. Come on, Mason, let's go before they come up with some other way to torture us." Mason whined as Klaus shifted into wolf form. They both started to run back in the direction they had come from.

Stefan and Lexi were simply staring, trying hard not to laugh. Bekah looked at them and said, "It's alright to laugh at them. We do it all the time." Elena smiled and winked at her.

"Come on, you two, let's get back to the house," she said and they headed towards the woods, in the general direction of their current place of residence.

"Aren't you going to do that popping in and out thing you do?" Stefan asked curiously.

"There's really no need. I don't see the point since we're pretty close, there's no emergency and I enjoy the outdoors. I don't like taking my powers for granted," she said with a shrug and Stefan nodded in understanding.

As they reached the edge of the clearing, though. Elena stopped. She looked back curiously, studying the tree line behind her. She had sensed something. A slight ripple. An emotion. Fury. She sniffed the air. It smelled like Damon.

"Everything cool, Lena?" she heard Bekah ask. She shook off the feeling. It was her imagination. After all, he lived in the area. She was just imagining things. Wishful thinking.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Let's go," she said. They walked off but Elena still couldn't shake the feeling that Damon was close by.

* * *

><p>Damon was seething. Stefan had come to him earlier and asked whether or not he was going with them over to the Forbes place, where Klaus and Elena were holed up. Since he was still pissed at his brother for not telling him about Elena's visit, he had decided to ignore him. He had waited for them to leave and had followed them from a safe distance.<p>

When he had come upon the scene in the clearing, his first instinct had been savage fury, the urge to maul and rip apart anything that dared threaten Elena. He felt his face change as his fangs descended, ready to rip the wolf apart for attacking his mate, even if it meant his death in the process.

What stopped him, though, was the laughter and Elena laughing and joking with his brother and everyone else in the clearing. When one of the wolves had turned into Klaus, he realized the other must be Mason, which only inflamed his jealousy. To make matters worse, Klaus was no holding Elena against his _naked_ body, making Damon absolutely homicidal. When the hybrid mentioned that using Elena for cover was more fun and had tightened his arms around her, Damon punched a tree in anger.

He staggered back, the raw mess of his knuckles quickly healing. However, the tree wasn't that lucky. He had punched a hole straight through. Crap, he had never had such violent reactions with any other woman. He was generally volatile but around her it was like his mood swings were magnified a hundred times.

He had to get the fuck out of there before he did something stupid.

* * *

><p>That evening Damon sat at the bar, downing his 8th drink of the night, when the bane of his existence, or the woman of his dreams, walked into the Mystic Grill. She was accompanied by her permanent fixtures as well as his brother and Lexi. He glared at them, especially when she didn't even glance his way.<p>

He watched them order drinks and then Elena got up and disappeared into the bathroom with Lexi on her heels.

* * *

><p>"What's up Lexi?" Elena asked, curious why the younger vampire had asked to speak to her in private.<p>

"Look, I know you don't know me and I'm probably overstepping a little but Stefan doesn't have the balls to talk to you," she hesitated.

"Okay, so what's this all about?"

"It's about Damon. I know he can be a jackass but he really does care about you, even if won't admit it," Lexi said. Elena looked at her in surprise.

"Uhm, I'm thinking that would be Katherine he cares about," she pointed out. "After all, she's the one he's living with."

"Actually, no. Katherine walked out last night." Elena felt sick. This was her fault. She had told the vampire she was free. Shit! "But don't worry. It was over between them long ago. Damon just didn't want to admit that he'd made a mistake and didn't really know her."

"How do you know all this?" Elena asked.

"I'm Stefan's best friend," she said with a shrug. "So I hang out with them quite a bit. Trust me, I can read Damon pretty well."

Elena looked at Lexi, processing the information she had been given. It only took her a few seconds to make a decision. "Thanks Lexi," she said with a smile.

They made their way over to their table. When Klaus got up to make room for Elena to sit, she shook her head, picking up her glass. She took a gulp and said, "Wish me luck."

Klaus looked at her, cocking his head questioningly. "Damon," she mouthed. His eyes hardened. "Don't. Please, trust me. I'll tell you later," she said, her voice low. Klaus immediately softened and nodded.

"Fine but if he hurts you again, I'll rip him apart," Klaus growled.

"Down boy," Elena said with a small smile, though she appreciated how much Klaus cared about her. "I'll be fine. Promise." And with that she sauntered over to Damon, a smile plastered on her face, even though she was trembling inside.

"Hi," she said softly when she reached his side. He turned to glare at her and her breath hitched when her eyes locked with icy blue ones. God, he was gorgeous. And just like that, her body took over, pleading and demanding, screaming and trembling, desperate for one thing. Damon's touch.

She saw him tense, his hand squeezing his glass until it cracked, his teeth clenched and she knew she was having the same effect on him.

"What the hell do you want?" he growled at her. Elena cocked an eyebrow.

"Okay. Just thought I'd come over and say hello and see how you are," she said softly, trying to keep her temper leashed.

"I'm fine. Glad you noticed I exist. Aren't you too busy fucking around with your _friends_," he practically spat the word, "to talk to me?"

Elena took a deep breath. She had to control herself. He was probably just hurting. "No, I'm not too busy. I just wanted to talk to you, that's all," she said, her voice almost a whisper as if she was trying not to startle a wild animal.

"What? You haven't found anyone else to give you a good fucking and you need to scratch an itch?" Damon snarled. He knew he was being stupid and he was seriously putting his foot in his mouth. She had come to him and he was acting like a dick. But it was the only way he could keep his hands off her.

All the jealousy, fury and lust had crashed together inside him until he was practically vibrating with the need to throw her over his shoulder, lock her up in his bedroom and fuck her senseless until all thought of leaving was wiped from her mind. Until she apologized for abandoning him in the first place. He wanted to mark her, show her she was his and that if any other man touched her, he'd rip him apart. He was gritting his teeth, trying to keep his ass on the seat. Shit! Shit! Shit!

Elena's eyes narrowed and she glared at him. "What the fuck is your problem?" she growled, finally snapping.

"Nothing. I'm out of here," Damon said, standing up and throwing some money on the bar. He was out the door in seconds.

Elena snarled, "Oh no, you don't!" She was behind him in moments, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to a stop. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she snapped at him.

"What's wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with you?" he snarled at her. "You fuck me twice, giving me the best moments of my life, but you run away and leave me high and dry. To add insult to injury, you waltz into my house, beg Katherine to stay with me because you can't stand the sight of me and then disappear for two years. You waltz back into town, ignore me completely and I have a problem?" he was practically shouting by the end.

Elena was staring at him incredulously. "Excuse me!" she snarled at him. "First of all, I may have left you high and dry but it was for your own good." And because she had been scared of the intensity of what was between them but it wasn't like she was going to admit that to him.

"Oh please, don't bullshit me," he growled at her. "I can tell when you're bullshitting."

"Oh really! Give me a break," she rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she snapped when he opened his mouth to say something. "Second, I came to your house to see you, not to beg Katherine to do any-fuckign-thing. The only reason I fucking told her to stay was because apparently, according to everyone, she's the love of your life and I wanted you to be happy!" she was already screaming.

"Wha-?"

"And, let's just get this straight, I wasn't on a fucking vacation, okay?" she continued to shout.

"You could have damn well at least said good-bye!" he shouted at her. "And who the hell do you think you are to decide what's good for me or what'll make me happy? You could have asked!"

"Cut the crap! You know you wanted her desperately, so don't give me this bullshit now. You're just pissed she left you, aren't you?" she snapped.

"No, I'm pissed because you've been ignoring me while you've been rubbing up against everything else that has a dick," he snarled. "I couldn't care less about Katherine. I'm glad she left."

Elena snorted. "That's why you were in there, drowning in scotch. Because you don't care that she left you. Hell, you smell like a distillery," she snapped at him.

"Fuck this!" he growled, "I don't need this shit." He turned to leave.

"That's it, run away like a coward. It's all you are, isn't it?"

He whirled around, stalking towards her, his eyes blazing with fury. "What the fuck did you say?" he growled.

"You heard me," she snapped.

"I fucking hate you," he snarled.

"I hate you, too," she snarled back. They stared at each other and moments later their lips were crashing together in an explosive kiss, filled with all the desperation and longing that had built up while they had been apart. Elena's hands speared into his hair, holding him tightly while he cupped her ass, pulling her tightly against him.

They moaned into each other's mouths as their tongues battled, each one trying to dominate the other. When Elena sucked his tongue into her mouth, Damon groaned and pulled her harder against him. Suddenly, he froze. He pulled back, looking at her.

"I can't do this again. Not if you disappear again," he said softly as he pulled away from her. Before she could answer, he had already gone. She growled in annoyance. Men!

She stomped back into the Grill, beyond pissed. She threw herself down next to Klaus and motioned Lexi closer to her. "I need you to do something for me," she said in a whisper. Damon was going to get the surprise of his life if he thought she was going to lie down and take it.

* * *

><p>Elena looked up into the sky and smiled. It was pouring down and she loved it. It was one of those summer storms with thunder and lightening and it was amazing. It was one of the moments she felt completely one with nature and she couldn't resist.<p>

She could have simply 'ported over to Damon's place but the call of the storm had been irresistible. She laughed, her head tilted back, as the rain pelted her face and her body, soaking the midnight blue, silk slip she was wearing. She was probably underdressed for a trek across the woods but not for her final destination, she thought with a grin.

She had asked Lexi to keep Stefan in town so that she and Damon could have the house to themselves. Lexi had been happy to comply, as well as Stefan, when they had heard what her plan was.

A few minutes later, she was standing at the front door of the Salvatore house. She listened intently. It was quiet, so she slowly turned the handle and it opened easily. Silly vampires, she snorted. They thought nothing could hurt them so they didn't lock the door. Idiots.

She padded into the hall, leaving a wet trail behind her. She saw a soft light glowing in the living room, so she peeked around the door. No. He wasn't there. She focused and listened. She couldn't hear a thing. Damn vampires! No heartbeat to hear. Suddenly, she picked up something. A breath. Ha! It was still involuntary.

She quietly tiptoed up the stairs and moved towards the door behind which she knew Damon was. She quietly opened the door and slipped into the room.

It was dark, the only light coming from the odd flashes of lightening. She glanced towards the bed and she softened when she saw him lying there. He was clearly asleep, his dark lashes fanning his cheeks. In sleep, his face looked so relaxed, so peaceful. There was no underlying hint of pain or loneliness.

He snored softly and she almost giggled out loud. He was lying on his back, obviously naked, which certainly made her life a lot easier. A sheet covered him to just above his pubic bone, leaving his beautifully sculpted chest open to her scrutiny.

Elena's mouth went dry at the thought of what was below that sheet. God, she wanted him desperately. She slipped over to the bed and stood over him, trying to decide what to do. She took hold of the sheet and gently pulled it off him, watching to make sure she didn't wake him. She quietly climbed on the bed next to him and held her breath when he murmured something. He took a deep breath but seemed to settle back into slumber.

However, it seemed that a part of him recognized her scent even in sleep because his cock had woken up with a vengeance. Where he had been soft and relaxed a moment before, now he was rock hard and Elena's almost moaned at the thought of tasting him.

She pulled her hair back from her face so she wouldn't drip water on him and wake him. Leaning over him, she gently took hold of his cock and blew across the head, eliciting a soft moan from him. She looked up at him, but he was still fast asleep. She grinned. This was fun.

She swirled her tongue around the head of his cock, learning the texture and feel of him. Her tongue dipped into the slit, picking up a drop of his precum. At that Elena did moan softly. He tasted so good. All man and she couldn't get enough of him.

She retunred to her ministrations, watching Damon intently, who was breathing harder and harder. It was hilarious, considering he didn't need to breathe at all. When she sucked him into her mouth, her cheeks caving in with the power she was using, he moaned loudly. Her gaze slipped up to his face but his eyes were still closed.

She sucked him all the way into her mouth and down her throat, until her lips touched the base of his cock. She pulled back, lashing his cock with her tongue along the way. She gently sucked his head before letting go to swirl her tongue around him, paying special attention to that area on the back of his dick that was so sensitive. He was gasping and moaning with every movement she made, yet he still seemed to be asleep.

Damon was in a daze. He wasn't sure whether he was asleep or awake but he did know that he didn't want the sensations to stop. God, it felt fucking amazing. He was almost quaking with the need to come but he wouldn't let himself finish just yet, he wanted to enjoy this some more. Who knew when he'd get the chance again? After all, you couldn't schedule dreams.

Elena sucked him into her mouth again, taking him hard and deep, until he was lodged partway down her throat. Damon's back arched, "What the…?" he gasped, his head snapping up, his eyes locked on her, but he never finished the question because that's when Elena decided to swallow, massaging the head of his cock with her throat muscles. "Oh fuck! Fuck!" he groaned. She slipped her hand in between his legs and took hold of his balls, massaging them gently. He moaned loudly but he kept staring at her, unable to tear his eyes away from the incredible sight of Elena going down on him.

She pulled back, grazing his shaft with her teeth, swirling her tongue around him and then sucking hard on the head of his cock. Damon's hands fisted in the sheets and he moaned. "Please, Elena," he whispered.

"What do you want Damon?" she asked.

"Don't stop. For fuck's sake, whatever you do, don't fucking stop. I'm so close," he groaned, pumping his hips up to make a point. Elena looked at him wickedly and called on her power to restrain Damon's wrists and ankles. She wanted him to remember this night forever and if he was free she'd never get to play with him. Then, she moved slowly up his body, trailing kisses along his abs, dipping her tongue into the ridges there and then into his belly button. "Elena," he growled.

When he tried to grab hold of her, he growled even louder when he realized he couldn't move. "What the hell, Elena?" he snarled.

"Shhh, relax. I just want to have my way with you," she whispered. He seemed to try and relax but was clearly not happy. She smirked. He'd be fine. She nipped at a nipple and Damon gasped. She bit down slightly harder and Damon's back arched, "Shit," he breathed. She laved him with her tongue, soothing the sting of her bite and repeated the process on the other side. She then trailed kisses back down to his cock and licked up one side of his shaft and back down the other.

"Take me in your mouth," he groaned. She continued to tease him with her tongue and then surprised him with a sudden move, sucking him hard and fast into her mouth, taking him all the way in, making him growl. "Fuck. God. Elena. That's so fucking good."

She looked up at him and the look of ecstasy on his face was such a turn on she was desperate to feel him inside her. But not yet. First she wanted to finish this.

She drew back, again, until she released his cock with a pop. She fisted him slowly, while she slipped her hand between her legs, running her middle finger through the copious juices she found there, making sure her finger was nice and wet.

She watched him struggle with the bonds and decided to release him. She didn't want to scare him with too many new things at the same time. She took his cock back into her mouth, sucking hard on him, while she ran her wet finger gently around the puckered skin of his anus. He tensed slightly. She pulled back. "Trust me," she whispered, looking him in the eyes. He nodded curtly and she smiled.

She sucked his cock back in her mouth, lashing the head with her tongue until he was groaning and moaning and pumping his hips, trying to get deeper into her mouth. She gently started to push against the muscles guarding his rear entrance and she felt him tense again but relaxed as soon as she took him deep into her throat again. Once he had relaxed her finger easily slipped past the ring of muscles and she pushed lightly, up to her second knuckle, until she found exactly what she was looking for, the smooth bump of his prostate. When she gently rubbed her finger against that highly sensitive area, Damon's body jackknifed as he shouted "Holy Fuck!", the pleasure so intense, his vision went white and his body trembled.

When she started to bob her head up and down on his cock and massage that highly sensitive spot, he fell back on to the bed and his hands shot out to grab hold of the headboard as he felt his world fall away. And then his orgasm hit him like an explosion and he roared, "Fucking Hell! Yes! Elena!", his back arching as his cum shot out of him, his hands crushing the headboard until it cracked.

White hot pleasure raced through his veins, until his whole body was spasming and shaking. The sight of Elena swallowing everything he had to give her and moaning caused another mini-orgasm to hit him until he really was trembling.

She sat up, lowering herself onto her calves and just looked at him with a small smile. Fuck, she was beautiful. He knew he should be wondering what the hell she was doing there. But he didn't care. She was there and that was all that mattered. And after what she had just done for him, he knew he'd never be able to live without her.

He felt his strength suddenly return as his demon growled in annoyance. It was time to satisfy their mate. He grabbed hold of her so fast she screamed. In seconds she was lying beneath him and he was staring into her eyes, his lips inches from hers. "Thank you. That was un-fucking-believable," he whispered. He frowned a bit then. "Why are you wet?"

"I walked," she said with a shrug and he looked over his shoulder to see the storm that was still raging outside. "I love storms."

"Me too," he said, smiling at the memory of their first time together. He felt himself harden instantly and he groaned as Elena started to rub her wet heat against him. She moaned his name softly, "Damon."

His brain shutdown as lust overrode everything. He needed her right now or he was going to explode. "I need to be inside you, right now. It's been too long. I can't be gentle," he said.

"Fuck, Damon, I need you now. And I want you to fuck me so hard that I'll never get you out. Please," she mewled beneath him.

Elena was on fire. She didn't have time for gentle lovemaking. She hadn't come yet and she was already horny as hell from sucking his cock, which was one of the hottest things ever.

Damon positioned himself at her entrance and she groaned when he didn't move. "Damon, I'm going to hurt you," she growled as she lifted her hips, trying to capture him and pull him inside her.

He looked down at her. She was beautiful. He grabbed hold of the slip she was wearing and tore it down the center, baring her body to his hungry gaze.

"God, you're perfect," he groaned. Elena's eyes narrowed. She brought her legs up and wrapped them around his waist, much to Damon's surprise. She then lifted her hips and used her legs to pull him down, effectively impaling herself on him. "Fuck," Damon groaned, "you're evil, you know that?"

Elena moaned in response, "How can I help myself when you feel so good inside me?"

"If you keep saying things like that to me, I might have to keep you forever," he said with a smirk. When Elena looked at him strangely, he felt like kicking himself. Why couldn't he keep his big, fat mouth shut? He had to just fuck everything up, didn't he? Why would she want him? Fuck, fuck, fuck he was a moron.

"I just might let you, if you fuck me already," she said as she moved her hips suggestively. Damon gasped, staring down at her. Had she really said what he thought she had? All thought fled his mind, thought, when she snarled "fuck me," at him.

He started with long, languid strokes so he could feel every inch of her stroking him, squeezing him, driving him mad. Soon, he found himself picking up speed, the sensations too much for him to maintain control over himself.

Elena was meeting him thrust for thrust, her back arched, her breath coming in gasps. "Damon, you feel so damn good," she moaned. "Fuck me harder, please."

Hearing her beg was doing strange things to him. He started pounding into her, knowing she liked it rough and hard, just like he did. She really was made for him.

With every slam of his hips, Elena cried out "Yes, right there, like that!" as she raked her nails down Damon's back. He hissed as the sting of pain drove him even higher, making his feel skin tight, his muscles tense and trembling with the effort of keeping his orgasm at bay.

Elena's enitre body was shaking and trembling as Damon's every thrust dragged over her G-spot just right. She felt the coil inside her tightening, more and more until she knew she was so close. "Damon," she gasped, "bite me." She turned her head to the side, exposing her neck to him.

The sight of her trusting him to bite her, the thought of her wanting it, begging for it made him impossibly harder. "Are you sure?" he had to ask.

"Damon, just bite me already," she groaned. Damon's features shifted and he nuzzled her neck, licking the spot over her carotid artery, his hips stilling for the monumental moment. Elena wasn't having any of that though as she growled, "who said you could stop?"

Damon couldn't help but to laugh as he started to piston inside her, slamming into her until he thought he would go insane with the pleasure. When he sank his fangs in her neck, Elena screamed and he panicked, drawing away to look at her face. "Why did you stop?" she snarled.

"I thought I hurt you," Damon said.

Elena's features softened at the worry on his face. "Hell no! It was amazing," she said with a smile. "Now, get on with it."

He bent over and sank his fangs back in and Elena gasped with every pull and moaned every time he slammed into her. Fuck, the taste of her blood was just as addictive as he remembered it. And now it was pouring down his throat and driving him wild, his hips pumping harder and harder.

Within seconds, Elena felt her body shatter and explode as spasms wracked her whole body from the intensity of her orgasm. Her hands shot out to cup Damon's ass, her nails sinking in and pulling him hard against her.

The combination of Elena's blood and her inner muscles clamping down on him until he saw stars pulled another epic orgasm from Damon, his cum shooting out of him until he was panting, trying to get himself under control. He was shaking. He was fucking shaking. "Damn," he whispered.

Shit! At this rate, he was never going to want to sleep with another woman again. A part of him had started to believe that it was only in his imagination the sex was so great, which was why he tolerated Katherine in his bed. But now, he knew without a doubt this was the best fucking sex he had ever had and would probably ever have.

Elena smiled at him as he lay down beside her, pulling her against him. She snuggled up to him, her head on his chest and was asleep in seconds. Damon tried to resist the lure of sleep, fearing she would disappear during the night and he'd be left alone again. He didn't know if he could take it again. He might fucking snap, especially with everything that had been going on recently.

Slowly, his eyelids drooped and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p>Damon woke with a start. When he glanced outside he saw it was still dark and wasn't sure what had woken him. Suddenly, he realized something was missing. Elena was no longer curled up against him. No, please, no. Please, she wouldn't … couldn't have done it again. He was afraid to look. He didn't want to. But he knew he had to. He turned his head to look on the other side of the bed and it was empty. He reached out a hand and felt the coldness of the sheets. She had been gone a while.<p>

He smiled sadly, realizing he would never mean anything real to anyone. He would always just be that good fuck that women wanted to get away from in the morning. He felt his heart begin to shatter as he lay there staring at the ceiling. What the hell was the point of all this anymore?

Just then a sound startled him. A hissed "Crap!" followed by a thud. He shot straight up out of bed and saw Elena in a heap on the ground, wearing her leather bodysuit, of all things. "Damn it," she said quietly. Damon felt his heart start to beat again. She was here. She hadn't left. He felt like he could grow wings and fly.

"What's wrong baby?" Damon whispered. She glanced up at him, pain clear in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," she said softly.

"Come on, let's get you into bed," he said, cupping her cheek. She really was here. When his hand smoothed down and over her back to help her stand, she hissed in obvious pain. Damon frowned. "Elena, what is it?" he asked.

"Nothing," she tried to wave it away.

"Don't tell me it's fucking nothing when you can barely walk, are in a hell of a lot of pain and can't heal yourself. What's going on?"

"Got an alert of rift activity. Had to go. There were 6 of them this time and I was slightly distracted so one of them got a lucky slice in," she said with a shrug as if it was a normal everyday occurrence.

"Why isn't it healing?" Damon asked.

"It was a poisoned blade and I need to feed to speed up the healing process. Unfortunately, Bekah and Nik were as out of it as I was and I couldn't ask so I'll just have to wait till morning," she explained with a small shrug and a sigh.

"You can feed from me," Damon said.

"You sure about this?" Damon nodded.

"But how about I get you into bed first, where it's more comfortable," Damon said, as he gently lifted her, making sure to stay away from the jagged cut on the back of her left shoulder. He lay her down on the sheets.

"No," she groaned, "I'll get blood on the sheets."

"Forget about the fucking sheets. I'll buy new ones," Damon practically growled at the top of his voice. "Can you do the poof thing with your clothes or shall I undress you?" he then asked softly.

Moments later, her clothes had disappeared and Damon was looking at a horrendous looking wound. He wanted to throttle her. "What the hell were you thinking Elena?" Damon growled, seeing the raw looking gash with black, green and blue veins spidering outwards.

"That I had to keep the world safe by doing my job and killing those creatures before they reached civilization?"

"Very funny. I know what you do and I understand and respect it but why did you come here?"

For a moment Elena's face revealed the pain of rejection he had been so used to until it disappeared under her more usual mask of indifference. "Fine, I'll leave, since you don't want me here," she snapped.

"Hell no, you're not going anywhere like this. And why did you get pissy? I only meant you should be taking better care of yourself. Of course I want you here. Are you stupid?"

"I came back because I wanted to keep my word. I wanted to be here in the morning," she said with a small shrug. Damon swore he felt his heart start beating happily.

He climbed into bed and pulled her against him, between his bent knees, as she leaned backwards. Damon watched in fascination as her whole face changed and fangs peeked out. And those eyes, they were incredible. You could stare for hours and hours at a time and still get lost in their beauty.

Her fangs sank gently into his wrist and Damon gasped. "Damn, Elena, why didn't you tell me?" he asked curiously. It was amazing. The ecstasy was impossible to describe and Elena felt Damon shaking with it.

She pulled away, licking her lips. "Thank you," she whispered, feeling the cut on her back knit together.

"Fuck, Elena," he groaned. "You're going to leave my high and dry, right?" She nodded with a small smile.

"I'm sorry but I'm completely beat. I promise I'll make it up to you in the morning, she said with a small smile. He smoothed her hair back and helped her get under the covers. Soon, he was slipping in the other said, pulling her against his body, cradling her in his arms.

She had come back for him, was the last thought that came to mind before sleep claimed him.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey everyone. First of all, thank you for all your amazing reviews, on all my stories and I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive, especially Angela76.**

**I do feel, though, that I need to explain a bit about how my creative process goes, especially after some less than complimentary reviews I received on another story. As some of you know, I'm also working on a Damon/OC story at the moment, but I feel I need to explain that I never work on one story in favor of the other. It's not as if I'm focusing on that story over my Delena ones. It's simply that my inspiration dried up and I had some other issues with TVD and Elena. But as you can see, I'm not giving up on any of my stories.**

**In fact, I've got another Delena idea (yes, I think I have ADD LOL) so I know you might want to choke me but you have to understand that my mind works in mysterious ways. I might be able to sit and work on one story for a month straight, every day, and then completely lose inspiration and stare at the screen for three or four months with no idea what to write. And if I have to force myself to write, then the result will suck completely and I'll hate doing it, which will suck even worse because I do this for fun.**

**Okay, so now that I've got that off my chest, on with the show. Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>Elena opened her eyes slowly and found herself staring into a pair of ice blue orbs. She smiled softly. Damon grinned back. He was lying on his side, his head propped on his hand.<p>

"How long have you been awake?" she asked softly.

"A while," he said.

"And you've been staring at me since then? I can't be that fascinating," she said with a small chuckle. He smoothed back a lock of hair from her face and she felt butterflies in her tummy at the look on his face.

"Yes, you are. I'll never tire of watching you," he said simply. She smiled and rolled over, right into his arms. She planted a soft kiss on his lips, her hand cupping his cheek. He nuzzled her palm as he pulled her closer, tighter.

Damon had never felt so free. When he had woken up to see Elena lying by his side, her arm over his waist, their legs entangled, he had felt the urge to pinch himself to make sure it wasn't a dream. He had stared at her for a while until he felt his hunger become a gnawing ache and had been forced to get up. Her soft moan of displeasure had made him look back at her curiously and his heart had skipped a beat when he saw her searching for him in her sleep.

He had rushed down to the kitchen, drained a few blood bags, grabbed a few more and a glass to have on hand when she woke up and had been back in bed in two minutes flat. And then he had simply watched her. She was exquisitely beautiful and when she had opened her eyes and stared into his, that small smile curling her lips, he had wanted to fall on his knees and thank the powers that be for this moment. A moment in time when everything was so perfect, it frightened him.

She was so perfect, so amazing and he feared the moment she would realize he wasn't worthy of her. She risked her life to save others, while he killed people for purely selfish reasons. He was a monster and she deserved better than him.

"Stop thinking so hard, your head might explode," Elena said with a small smile. "And you aren't a monster, so don't even go there."

"How…" he trailed off.

She tapped her temple. "Remember, I can hear your thoughts if you're projecting loud enough. The monsters are out there, coming through that rift. You're no monster, baby. Now, come here and give me a kiss. I'm feeling kind of neglected."

Damon couldn't help but grin as he rolled her over and fused his lips to hers.

"Damon!" he heard Stefan call and groaned. Just as thing's were about to get interesting his brother just has to show up and ruin it.

"Elena!" they heard another voice call. Elena groaned.

"Come on, you two. We've got stuff to do!" Klaus shouted.

"Have I ever told you your timing sucks balls?" Elena shouted back, making Damon laugh. "As much as I want to spend all day rolling around this magnificent bed of yours, Nik will be up here, dragging us out of bed in about two minutes," she said regretfully.

"We can share the shower," Damon suggested, waggling his eyebrows. Elena laughed.

"If we get into the shower together, we'll never make it out of this room. And I really like your ass too much to let Nik go wolf on you and bite it." Damon cringed at the thought. Nope, getting bitten on the ass by a pissed off hybrid was not high on his list of things to do.

"Fine," he grumbled. "You shower first. I'll sit here and watch," he said with a grin.

"You like to watch?" she purred, trailing her fingertips down his chest.

"Oh yeah," he said, his voice coming out on a strangled moan.

"Pervert," she whispered with a giggle as she jumped out of bed.

"With you? You can bet that sweet ass that I am," he said with an unrepentant grin. He watched as she sauntered over to the shower, her ass swaying, practically begging him to take a bite. He licked his lips. When his gaze traveled up and locked with hers, he gulped. That evil glint in her eyes was giving him chills, in a very good way, since they travelled down to his already engorged cocked.

He watched her reach in and turn the water on, while her other hand came up, her palm pointing towards him. She whispered something and he swallowed. Was she hexing him or something? When nothing happened he relaxed. He watched as she stepped into the shower, letting the water run over her, soaking her hair and her body.

He licked his lips, wishing he was in there with her, licking the water of that gorgeous body of hers. Then, she turned around to face him and gave him a sultry look as she licked her lips. His nostrils flared. He watched as she trailed her lips with her own fingers. His fingers sank into the bedding. When she sucked a finger into her mouth, he moaned.

He followed her fingers as they ran over her silky skin, running over her nipples, which puckered in anticipation. Her soft sigh of pleasure was almost his undoing.

"Elena, you're playing with fire," he rasped.

"I like living dangerously," she said with a small wink as she leaned back against the wall, spreading her legs slightly. When her fingers started to descend, trailing over her belly, going lower and lower, he started to grind his teeth.

"Elena!" he hissed in warning.

"What is it baby?" she purred. "I thought you liked to watch." And that's when she reached her target and thrust two fingers inside herself, fast and hard, arching her back and moaning his name out in pleasure. The tight leash he'd had on his control disintegrated and he was up and stalking towards her before he had even formulated the thought. Her eyes were open, staring at him, a small smile curling her lips.

When he almost reached the shower, he glanced off something. He tried to get to her again but there was an invisible barrier stopping him. He was so close, yet so far. What the fuck? He tried again and then punched at it in irritation.

He looked at Elena, watching her pump her fingers inside herself, her thumb circling her clit. His mouth went dry and his cock was about to explode.

"Fuck!" he snapped, hitting the damn barrier again. What the hell was going on? Why couldn't he get to her?

"Fuck, Damon. It feels so good," she whispered. He was going insane. He needed to get to her. He needed to get to her NOW! He watched her lift her leg, propping it against the ledge, baring herself to his gaze and he started to literally shake with need. "Touch yourself, baby," she purred softly and his legs almost buckled.

He leaned his forehead against the invisible barrier and shook his head. "I need to touch you," he said hoarsely.

She shook her head, a wicked smile on her lips. "I want to see your cock. I want to see you stroke that delectable piece of flesh until you come. I need to see what I do to you. I need to know that I'm not the only one to lose my mind whenever I see you," she said harshly, a flicker of uncertainty appearing her eyes but disappearing a moment later.

Damon could hear the blood roaring in his ears, he could feel the demon inside him roaring to get out, to prove to their mate that she wasn't weak for wanting him. To prove that they both wanted, no needed, her with a desperation that surpassed anything he had ever felt before.

He brought one hand up to lean against the barrier and fisted his cock with the other. "Elena!" he gasped when his rough palm touched his sensitive skin.

"That's it baby," she murmured. "Stroke yourself. Show me how much you want me." He could do nothing else but comply, his body running on automatic. "Fuck baby," she moaned softly, "you have such a beautiful cock. And you taste so good. Do you remember me sucking you, baby?'

Damon decided she was fucking evil as he whimpered at her words. "Do you remember me taking you deep, so deep into my throat?" she whispered and he slammed his fist against the fucking barrier, trying to get to her even as his hand moved over his aching erection faster and faster. Shit, he needed her! He couldn't do this. He needed to feel her come first. Needed to watch her face as she broke apart in ecstasy. "Do you remember my finger up that sexy ass, stroking your sweet spot?" Shit, shit, shit! Her voice was pure, erotic sin. He was going to burst. He was shaking so hard, his knees almost gave out.

"Are you close baby?" she whispered. "Are you going to come for me?"

"Fuck!" he groaned, his back arching. "I need you Elena," he rasped. "Fuck, baby, please," he begged. The ruthless, psychotic Damon Salvatore was reduced to begging.

"Do you want to feel my lips wrap around your dick? Do you want me to swallow you down until you give me your come?" she purred, her voice purely erotic and so sinful. He shook hard.

"Yes," he croaked. "No, fuck. I don't know. I want to ram into your cunt until you're screaming my name, until you explode and I can feel your muscles clamping down on me," he said in a rush. He heard her moan and his eyes flew to her face, her mouth opening on a silent scream as she worked herself harder with her fingers.

"Then what are you waiting for?" she asked.

"I can't fucking get to you," he snarled.

"Are you sure?" And that's when he realized the barrier had disappeared. In less than a second, he was in the shower, picking her up, slamming her against the wall and ramming his cock inside her. Elena bit down on her fist to stifle her scream, her legs winding around his waist, holding on as he fucked her hard, his fingers digging into the flesh of her ass as he held her still.

"You're fucking evil," he snarled at her, doing everything in his power not to come before her. It was almost fucking impossible. He was a vampire, not a fucking saint. His hand slipped a bit, brushing against her back entrance and she arched her back, crying out. Thankfully, his brain was on lust autopilot, otherwise he might not have made the connection. He slipped his hands lower, making sure he had a good grip on her, and spread her ass cheeks apart slightly. He probed the puckered skin gently, waiting to see her reaction. At her loud moan of approval, he sank a finger inside, up to his first knuckle and that's when she shattered around him, screaming his name, sinking her teeth into his shoulder.

He exploded inside her, roaring his pleasure, his hips bucking uncontrollably, his eyes rolling back into his head. When they came around, they found themselves on the floor and they started laughing.

"Hell woman, you're dangerous," he said, still a little stunned at what had happened.

"No, baby. I'm kinky and you haven't seen anything yet," she said with a wicked grin. Damon gulped.

"I can't wait," he croaked.

* * *

><p>"Look who decided to honor us with their presence," Klaus said, watching Elena intently. <em>Is everything okay?<em> He mouthed to her. She nodded in response. _Perfect,_ she mouthed back with a wink and he grinned. He was glad she had finally decided to go after her man. He'd tried to convince her a few times over the years that she was making a mistake but she'd have none of it. Eventually, he had given up. He valued his balls too much to push the subject.

"So, now that our guests of honor are here, maybe we can get on with the plan. I mean it's just that we have to save the world and I know that is nowhere nearly as important as banging in the shower, but someone's gotta do it," Klaus sniggered.

Elena rolled her eyes, clearly not worried that everyone had heard them. "What can I say? He's just that good," she said with a grin. Damon smirked and felt like the king of the hill. He sat down on the couch, pulling Elena into his lap. She wiggled her ass, getting comfortable and Damon almost moaned.

"Stop that," he whispered urgently in her ear, pinching her ass for good measure. She just wiggled again. "Evil woman."

"Right, so, we were discussing Dredger and how to get close to him. For those not in the know and who were otherwise preoccupied while we were discussing the particulars earlier," Klaus said with a pointed look at Damon, "Dredger is a shadow demon Overlord who's hiding out in the mortal world. He has a key piece of information that should prove instrumental in turning the tide of this war."

"What information?" Damon asked.

"The Zerg have been using a machine of some type to open rifts in the fabric between the different dimensions. Usually, a rift can only be opened for seconds at a time, allowing only a few travelers through at a time. And it can only be done by someone with fae blood. However, it seems that the Zerg have constructed a machine that not only allows them to open these rifts, but also keep them open. We need to find this machine and destroy it," Klaus explained.

"So Dredger knows where it is?" Damon asked.

"We think so," Bekah replied.

"Stupid question but if this is so important, why are there only four of you here?"

They looked at each other and then at Elena, who shook her head subtly. "Because we believe the King of the Seelie is somehow involved with the shadow demons. He has forbidden anyone from doing anything else except fighting and slaughtering the Zerg that come through. Unfortunately, they are like locusts and too many lives have been already lost. So, we decided to take matters into our own hands," Elena explained.

"Fair enough. So, how do we find this Dredger and how do we get the information?" Damon asked.

"Well, we get Dredger to come to us," Klaus said. "He's known for his dark appetites, mainly towards supernaturals."

"Let me guess. You want to attract his attention," Damon said, nodding his head. It was what he would do.

"Basically. We need to get into his inner circle because he's not going to just tell us what we need to know. He needs to think we're as depraved as he is so we can get close and Lena can work her magic," Klaus said with a wink.

"And how do you plan to get into this inner circle?" Stefan asked, surprising everyone since he had been quiet ever since they had returned to the boarding house.

"We put ourselves out there. We show up at all his clubs and make him believe we're just like him," Elena said with a small shrug.

"So, that's the reason for the concert," Damon said, suddenly understanding.

"Pretty much," she replied.

"Okay, I want in," Damon said, determinedly.

"Are you sure about this?" Elena asked. "This is going to be dangerous."

"You're kidding, right? Dangerous is my middle name," he said with a grin and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Damon, this isn't like having a tiff with Nik or pummeling a baby vamp. These things can rip your heart out in an instant," she warned.

"If you think you're going anywhere without me, then you are sorely mistaken," he said looking at her pointedly. "And I want all in, not just the undercover job."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"You know, defending the rift, making sure nothing comes through. I don't want to see you like last night ever again. I figure one more can only help," he said with a shrug, unwilling to reveal exactly how much seeing her hurt last night had shaken him.

"Damon, no," Elena said adamantly. "It's too dangerous."

"The four of you do it," he pointed out.

"Nik, Bekah and I have been doing it for thousands of years," she said, exasperated. "We can handle it."

"I'm not kidding Elena. I'm coming along whether you like it or not. Now, I'd think it would be better if we fought as a unit but I'll still be there, even if you don't want to include me," he said stubbornly and Elena just glared at him.

"I like him," Klaus declared with a grin.

"Shut up, Nik," Elena growled and he just laughed.

"Damon has a point, Lena," Bekah said to her.

"Great, that's just great," she said as she stood and started to pace back and forth. "Since when are you all on Damon's side?" she asked, hands on her hips, her foot tapping.

"Since he's making sense and since he managed to get you to shut up?" Mason seemed to ask and the other two chuckled, nodding. Elena glared.

"Traitors!" she snapped and they only laughed harder.

"We want in too," Lexi said.

"He's insane. What's your excuse?" Elena asked, glaring at them.

"Well, I am older than both of them, which means I'm stronger. And I'm not going to just sit back and watch someone else risk their lives for me," Lexi said with a small shrug. Klaus smiled at her and she responded in kind.

"And if Damon goes, then I go," Stefan said.

"Great, I'm surrounded by suicidal idiots," Elena grumbled. "Do you get the idea that we do this because we have to? Because no one else can? Why do you want to jump into the middle of a war that has been raging for millennia?"

"Because this is our world too," Stefan said. "It is our world and we have the right to protect it just as much if not more than you." Damon's eyebrows rose, looking at Stefan curiously. Since when had his brother grown a pair of balls?

"He's right," Bekah said.

"I know he's right, Bekah. But they won't last a second against those damn things," Elena growled in irritation. "Do you think I want more blood on my hands?"

"You said the same thing about me in the beginning," Mason reminded her.

"Shut up," she snarled at him. "You know what? Do whatever the hell you want! Get yourselves killed. I don't give a fuck," she snapped, throwing her hands up in annoyance. And then she disappeared.

"Where the hell did she go?" Damon asked, worried.

"Don't worry. She just doesn't like to lose arguments, especially when she thinks she's right," Klaus said, shaking his head. "She'll be back soon. She's probably gone off to get you guys outfitted."

"Huh?" Stefan asked.

"You know, armor, weapons and so on," Mason explained.

"Oh, okay."

"Anyway, we have some information that Dredger will be at an underground club in New York known as the Fang'n Bang."

Damon couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Their lack of imagination is astounding," he said.

"I know," Klaus agreed, "but what's worse is that this is a supernatural club owned by vampires. Basically, everything goes, including draining humans dry in public. They have bouncers at the door, compelling everyone to forget the unsavory things that go on. It's become quite the rage for a certain supernatural element. And we're going," Klaus said.

"Sounds like fun," Damon said with a grin.

"Yeah, well, I need you all to remember that we're playing a game. That means that we are going to be acting out of character, so no stupid stunts fueled by idiotic jealousy, okay?" Klaus said. Even though he was including them all in his speech, he was staring pointedly at Damon.

"I'll be good. I promise," he said with a smirk.

"Not too good. We need to be convincing."

"Good but not too good. Check," Damon said. "Anything else, oh great one?" he asked. Mason and Bekah snickered.

"Yeah, don't get too cocky or you're liable to end up on the pointy end of a stake," Klaus warned, shaking his head.

* * *

><p>Four hours later, the guys were waiting in the living room of the Forbes Mansion for the women to come down. Mason was pacing, Klaus was gritting his teeth and Stefan was just glaring at the stairs. Damon was sitting back calmly, sipping his drink and grinning.<p>

"How can it possibly take them this long to get ready? Two of them are vampires and the other one's a fae. Why does it take them longer than humans to get ready?" Mason said, irritation stamped all over his face.

"Fuck knows," Klaus said. "If they don't come down soon, I'm going up there to drag them down."

"Good luck," Damon said with a grin.

"How come you're so calm?" Stefan asked.

"I'm looking at the bigger picture," he said with a shrug.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Klaus snapped.

"The longer it takes them to get ready, the more amazing they will look," he said with a smirk. And since he was also sure that the girls were listening to every word being said, he wasn't about to shoot himself in the foot. Of course, he wasn't going to tell them that.

"What the hell does that matter? Look, it took us ten minutes to get ready. They've been up there for hours," Klaus complained. The all wore black leather pants and different shirts.

"Pants, shirt and that's it. What the hell are they doing up there?" Stefan groaned. Just then, they heard the girls coming down the stairs.

"Finally," Klaus muttered. When the three women came into view, their jaws literally hit the floor. They all wore shiny black latex. Elena wore a pair of pants that looked painted on and hung low on her hips. Too low, if anyone were to ask Damon. Her top was nothing more than a wide band of latex across her breasts, leaving her toned tummy completely bare. On top, she wore a fitted leather jacket. Her hair was pulled up into a tight pony tail on top of her head and wide leather choker adorned her neck. The heels of her stilettos sounded out in the silence as she descended the stairs.

Bekah wore a one-piece latex cat-suit with a zipper that went from her neck to her groin. The zipper was open to just below her breasts, showing off a lot of skin. A chain hung low on her hips. Like Elena, she wore stilettos and had pulled her hair up into a pony tail.

Lexi wore a latex dress that molded to her like a second skin. It stopped just below her ass, showing off her long legs, which were encased in fishnets and knee-high boots.

"You can pick up your jaws off the floor now, boys," Elena said sweetly.

"Ladies, you look absolutely stunning," Damon said, being the first one to recover.

"Why thank you Damon," Bekah said with a big smile. The three of them came down the stairs, walked up to Damon, ignoring Klaus, Mason and Stefan. Elena took one arm, while Bekah took the other, with Lexi to her right.

"What's going on?" Klaus asked.

"We're going with Damon," Bekah answered sweetly. Damon just grinned. "Some men simply have no appreciation for women," she said with a little huff.

"And Damon does?" Mason and Stefan both scoffed in disbelief.

"We didn't hear him whining and moping," Lexi pointed out.

"And he is so gallant and charming," Bekah continued.

"And so unbelievably hot in those leather pants," Elena finished with a wink at Damon. He looked at the three guys who were glaring at him with murder written all over their faces. He just smirked and shrugged.

"Shall we ladies?" He said. Elena teleported them at that moment to the club. They walked in and were shown to a table, their little party coming under intense scrutiny. Especially the scrutiny of the males present in the club. Damon couldn't help but grin again. A few minutes later, Elena stood.

"I'll go and get them. I think they've learned their lesson by now," she said with a smirk. Then she was walking towards the exit. A few minutes later she returned with three very pissed off men in tow. They grumbled apologies to Bekah and Lexi but just glared at Damon.

"Would you three get over yourselves, already? Dredger's over there," Bekah said, indicating one corner of the club. "But by the looks of this place, we're really going to have to go all out to attract his attention."

They all took a better look at what was happening around them and had to agree with Bekah's assessment. There were vampires everywhere, feeding out in the open, sucking on their partner's necks as they danced in a parody of sex. It was perversely erotic and appealed to a dark side of Damon. Hell, on a certain level it appealed to all of them.

Elena and Bekah looked at each other and winked. "We're up," Elena said. "Klaus, you know what to do?" she said as she nodded to Damon.

"Yup. Go knock 'em dead," he said with a grin. The girls stood and Elena shrugged off her jacket.

"No worries. We intend to," Bekah said with a chuckle.

"Where are they going?" Damon asked as he watched them walk away, heading towards the dance floor.

"Just watch," Klaus said with a grin. So, Damon watched.

Rhianna's Disturbia came on and Elena grinned at Bekah, "Perfect," she said as she started to sway her hips. Bekah mirrored her actions, so they were dancing in synch. They circled each other, smiling wicked little smiles and soon they had the attention of almost everyone in the club. The other couples on the floor continued to dance but the men all watched the two women on the floor as closely as they could.

Bekah reached out suddenly, grabbing Elena by her pants and yanking her towards her. Their lips met and opened, their tongues danced with each other in an erotically charged kiss as they continued to move against each other. Elena nipped along Bekah's chin and down the side of her neck, drawing a moan from the vampire.

"Bite me," Bekah said, loud enough for anyone watching to hear.

"Me first," Elena replied, just as loud. "Is he looking?" she whispered to Bekah, her face still in the crook of her friend's neck.

"Mmmm, a small spark of interest. We might need to do more, though." So, Elena let her fangs drop and sank them into Bekah's neck. The girl moaned loudly, hanging on to Elena as the lust rocketed out of control. "Fuck yeah," she breathed. "Don't stop," she moaned, only part of it an act.

The four men at the table shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "Fuck, that is so hot," Mason said.

"Shut up, man. That's my sister," Klaus grumbled.

"Fuck that. You know it's hot," Mason repeated.

Damon couldn't even speak, his throat had closed up he was so tense. He was trying not to jump out of his seat and attack Elena. The way they were dancing together, kissing, touching turned him into a seething mass of hormones.

Just then Elena withdrew, lifted her head up high, her fangs still out, blood staining her chin and it had to be one of the most darkly erotic sights Damon had ever seen.

"Damon, you're up," he heard Klaus say.

"Wha'? What do you mean?" Damon said, not sure he heard the hybrid right.

"Get up and go to them. They'll do the rest," Klaus said. Damon didn't need a second invitation, especially when he heard Mason's muttered "lucky bastard." In seconds, he was standing next to them, watching them.

"You got room for a third?" he asked nonchalantly. He wasn't sure how he managed to keep his voice so level when inside he was quaking with need. Elena simply turned to him and pulled his head down, fusing her lips to his. He moaned at the taste of her combined with Bekah's blood. It was a heady combination. He licked her fangs and she shuddered, running a hand up his back.

The pulled away from each other and he bent to lick up the thin trail of blood left on her chin. He felt another hand tugging at his neck, pulling him in a different direction, while Elena's hand roamed over his chest and lower until she was inches from his cock. He moaned softly and then suddenly had Bekah's lips fused to his, her tongue demanding entry. He shot a quick look to Elena, pleading for help.

She just winked at him and mouthed _hot_, which almost made him fall over backwards. While Bekah's kiss was hot, it definitely didn't compare to Elena, who was at that moment sliding behind him, pulling herself flush against his body, moving in time to the music. She began to plant soft kisses along his shoulder, while Bekah mirrored her actions from the front. When they reached his neck, they both sank their fangs in at the same time and only steel determination prevented Damon from roaring and passing out at the sensation of the double penetration.

Elena's bit was just as addictive and erotic as the previous night, if not more so, considering that she was rubbing herself against him. The addition of Bekah pressing against his front, with her fangs in his neck just took things to a whole new level. His cock was pleading for release. He was desperate for something, anything. One hand shot out behind him, grabbing hold of Elena's ass and the other gripped Bekah's ass, pulling them both closer. He was running on adrenaline, on pure instinct.

"Fuck, if you two don't stop I'm gonna come," he warned, his voice husky, almost breaking. He felt their fangs withdraw and sighed in relief, almost. A part of him was slightly disappointed, he had to admit.

What he didn't see was the mischievous looks passing between Bekah and Elena. With a wink, they moved slightly, Bekah making a little space between her and Damon so Elena could slide her hand around to his belly. He gasped slightly and that's when they struck again, fangs sinking in to his neck as Elena's hand slid into his pants, taking hold of his cock. Bekah pressed against him again, hiding what Elena was doing.

Damon started hyperventilating. They were insane. What they hell were they trying to do to him? This was the last thing he had expected when he had come over. Shit, that felt so damn good. The love of his life working him with another woman in the middle of a club, feeding on him, taking him to places he'd never imagined he could go.

As they drank him, every pull made his cock pulse. Elena's hand fisting his cock made him tremble and when she ran a thumb over the head, spreading the precum he almost collapsed. He suddenly vamped out when Elena pressed her wrist to his mouth and he groaned, sinking his fangs in. And that's how Damon exploded, his orgasm hitting him unexpectedly, the second Elena's blood hit is tongue. He was trembling, trying to get the room to stop spinning with him.

Luckily, the girls were pressed so tightly against him that he couldn't fall down, even if he wanted to. "Fuck," he murmured, "that was unexpected."

"It was fucking hot," Elena whispered to him. "You were so delicious."

"Mmm, I agree," Bekah purred. "We need to play again," she said winking at Elena, who grinned back. Damon swallowed hard.

"I told you I was kinky," she whispered in his ear.

All Damon could do was grin. "Your my wildest fantasy come to life," he told her and she just chuckled.

When they got back to the table and sat down, he heard more grumbles of "Lucky bastard," coming from Mason and Stefan. He couldn't help but grin like the cat that got the canary.

"So, do you think that worked?" Elena asked softly.

"I think so," Klaus answered just as softly, indicating the waiter who was coming over to them.

"Ladies," the waiter said, "the gentleman in the corner would like the presence of your company, if you would be so inclined."

Elena and Bekah made a show of looking at Dredger and nodded. They both stood and headed over to Dredger's table.

Dredger stood and bowed gallantly. He was a very attractive male specimen, Elena thought. He was tall, easily over 6 feet, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His dark hair was long but it was pulled back from his face, which was a contrast of viciousness and beauty, with pale grey eyes, a straight nose and full lips. "Ladies, you honor me with your presence," he said as he held out seats for both of them.

"Thank you for the invitation," Elena said. "So, what can we do for you?" she asked.

"Straight to the point. I like that," he purred. "What makes you think I don't simply want your company," he asked.

Bekah laughed. "Because you know we are not here alone," she replied. "So, I repeat my friend's question, what can we do for you?"

"I am throwing a party this weekend for some very important guests. As I recognized you Elena, I would like to book your band for the party and you two ladies, with your friend over there for the private party afterwards."

Elena looked at him coldly. "I don't know who you think you are, but we aren't for sale," she snapped indignantly. Hopefully, she hadn't overdone it. They couldn't seem overeager but this was definitely a surprise. They hadn't expected to gain access to the inner sanctum this quickly.

"My dear, please. I mean no disrespect. It's just that you were absolutely amazing and so fresh. Please, reconsider your position. Here's my card. I've jotted down the amount I'm willing to pay for your presence on the back. Give me a call if you change your mind," he said.

"We will. It was a pleasure, Mr…." she said glancing down at the card to check his name, "Dredger."

"The pleasure was all mine," he said with a smirk. They returned to their table and smiled.

"We're in," Elena whispered and Klaus grinned.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I want to thank everyone for their support, especially Angela (Angela76), Carly (Temptress-Kitten17) and Wendy (Gunny1979). You guys totally rock and it's mainly because of you that I decided to continue posting instead of deleting all my stuff from this site. You have no idea how much your support means to me. And I want to thank everyone who has been patiently waiting for updates to my stories. While I don't know exactly when I'll be updating my other stories, one thing I can promise is that I will be finishing them all :D... Oh, and if anyone wants to see something specific happen in any of my stories, just leave me a note and I'll see what I can do :)**

* * *

><p>The clang of metal on metal could be heard ringing out in the stillness of the afternoon accompanied by male grunting.<p>

"Stefan, you can't just rely on your speed and strength. The Zerg are stronger and faster. You need to be cunning, you need to be able to analyze your opponent and see their weaknesses. Find an opening, and strike, like this," Mason explained as he charged the vampire, his sword glinting in the sunlight. Stefan's eyes widened, raising his sword to block Mason's attack. The latter feinted right and when Stefan moved his weapon to block the attack, the werewolf whirled to the left, falling to his knees in the process, his sword stopping a breath shy of the vampire's waist. "See?"

Stefan just nodded, his eyes narrowed. "Oh and whatever you do, control the urge to bite," Klaus said.

"Why?" Damon asked, as he blocked Klaus attack. He watched the older vampire, studying his body, learning how he moved. Soon, he realized that just before Klaus would attack, his left arm tensed, as if to steady the sword, to ensure the blow would be fatal. He also watched as the muscles on the vampire's left tensed if he was going to attack from the right and vice versa. It was a minute movement that lasted a millisecond if that, but he was a vampire and he caught it. So, he deftly blocked Klaus' attacks and was soon going on the offensive.

"Because one taste of their blood and you are dead," Klaus said, making Damon's eyes widen. "They are not natural creatures. They were created by the Shadow High King to be the perfect soldier. Designed to fight against supernatural creatures, including vampires and anything else that bites, so their blood and flesh is poisonous. Trust me, it's not a nice way to go," the older vampire said with a small shudder.

Damon nodded. "Got it, no biting under any circumstances," he said as he saw his opening. Klaus was obviously distracted with the thoughts of the poisonous creatures so he took the opportunity and with a burst of vampire speed he surprised Klaus who prepared for a frontal attack. At the last second, Damon jumped up and diagonally, using his foot to push off the trunk of a nearby tree to reverse the direction of his jump so that he was now barreling towards the other vampire. He knew he'd fly past his back, but it was just what he wanted as he'd be able to slice him from the air. So, as soon as he was within striking distance, he swung his sword, making sure to pull back enough not to actually harm Klaus, just so he could feel the movement. He landed on the ground, on his back with a grunt and was up in seconds, remembering Klaus's warning to never relax until he was far from the battlefield.

He looked at Klaus with a grin, who simply nodded. "Very well done," he said. A feminine snort sounded.

"Admit it, dear brother. That was excellent. He definitely surprised you," Bekah said with a snort as she dropped to the ground, legs out in front of her, knees bent slightly as she leaned back on to her hands.

Lexi sauntered out of the house and slid to the ground, next to Bekah, her knees under her. Elena quickly followed holding a bowl of… popcorn? Klaus and Damon looked at each other curiously. Lexi moved over a bit and Elena sank down into a cross-legged position between the other two girls.

"What exactly are you doing?" Klaus demanded. "You should be training with us," he admonished. Elena just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll be right there. Why don't you just get on with it?" she said with a grin. Klaus just shrugged and turned back to Damon. They both took up an attack stance.

All three girls sighed softly and looked at each other with a grin. "Now, this is the life," Bekah whispered, grabbing a handful of popcorn and popping a kernel in her mouth.

"Man, I've got to agree. Four hot men fighting shirtless in the afternoon sunlight," Lexi said mesmerized. "Can a vampire die of dehydration?" she suddenly asked.

"Of course not," Bekah replied. "Why?"

"I might just drool to death," she whispered softly, sending Bekah and Elena into peals of laughter, which earned them strange looks from all the guys.

"Shhh," Elena said, trying to control her own laughter. "They'll catch on to us and then make us join them."

"That's really not a bad idea," Lexi whispered back. "How about a little hand-to-hand combat? Or hand to chest, abs and other parts. Specifically my hand and Nik's chest," she continued, sending the girls into another round of laughter.

"I'm certain Nik would really, really like the idea," Elena said.

"Shhh," Lexi whispered back urgently. "They'll hear us." Elena looked back at the guys and sure enough, they had slowed down, trying to listen in on their conversation. She narrowed her eyes and with an impish grin she raised her hand and whispered something softly.

"What did you do?" Lexi asked curiously.

"I put a glamor of sorts on us. Basically, they'll just see us here, lounging and watching them. They won't hear our conversation and they'll just think we're studying their moves," she said with a wicked grin.

"She's really useful to have around," Bekah said with a grin.

Elena gasped in mock outrage. "I knew you loved me only for my powers," she said, pouting.

"Yes, that's exactly why I love you. Not because you are the most amazing person I know or the best friend a girl could have and the only person I truly can be myself around," Bekah said in slight irritation.

"Aw, come on Beks, you know I was only kidding," Elena said, realizing she had accidently touched on a sore point for the vampire.

Bekah sighed. "I know Lena. It's just that with everything going on around us and with your… you know… dysfunctional family, I just get so angry at people wanting to take advantage of you."

Elena's eyes widened and she turned to Bekah. "Beks, just because I share genetic material with that psychotic jackass doesn't mean we're family, even though I often question whether we really are related by blood sometimes." At that Bekah looked at her in surprise. "You, Mason, Nik and Jeremy are the only family I have and need. And who knows, maybe we'll soon have some new members joining our crazy-ass family," she said, looking at Lexi.

The young vampire smiled softly. "I'd like that. I'd really like that," she said quietly, a tear springing to her eye, which she quickly dashed away. Lexi couldn't believe how open and accepting they all were and she had envied the bond she had seen between them. To have something like that, to have people you knew you could rely on and would have your back no matter what was something she had never experienced in all her 350 years and never thought she would. Hell, she hadn't even realized it was possible.

Elena cleared her throat. "Right, now let's leave the sappy crap for another time. We're missing out on the show," she said and they all grinned, turning back to watch the four men train.

"We should make a movie with all of them shirtless. I'm telling you we could make a fortune," Lexi said at one point.

"That's not a half-bad idea," Bekah agreed, grinning.

Elena started laughing and they looked at her. "I was just imagining the four of them getting mobbed by squealing fan-girls throwing their panties at them and declaring their undying love," she said, gasping. Lexi and Bekah joined in her laughter. "You should have seen Nik's face when a pair of panties landed at his feet during the last concert," she tried to get out between peals of laughter. "He was mortified!"

They were all laughing so hard, they had tears running down their cheeks. "Nik? Mortified?" Bekah tried to get out. "The man who puts Casanova to shame was mortified that a woman came on to him? That's priceless," she said, laughing harder.

"I know. You'd think he was a virgin," Elena said, which sent them into a new round of laughter.

"Please tell me he isn't," Lexi half whined, half gasped. Bekah and Elena fell on their backs, laughing even harder.

"Stop," Bekah gasped, "you're killing me."

"Nik a virgin?" Elena wheezed. "Relax," she said when she had managed to stop laughing long enough to get the words out, "he's got the equipment and knows what to do with it." She winked at Lexi, who looked at her curiously.

"Yes, I've slept with him," she confirmed. "I'm fae and we see sex differently than humans," she said with a small shrug. "For us it's a celebration of life and not something to be ashamed of. I'm actually considered a prude by many of my people because I don't go around banging everything on two legs."

Lexi stared at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"The fae are very indiscriminate when it comes to partners. They tend to see sex as a natural urge, an itch that has to be scratched and they usually don't mind who does the scratching," Bekah explained for Elena. "On the other hand, our girl here has standards. She'll only scratch the itch with people she loves," she said with an affectionate smile at Elena.

"So, the fae will sleep with anyone?" Lexi asked curiously.

Elena snorted. "If it moves, it's fair game. And allowing something small like an introduction to get in the way of the horizontal mambo will never happen. Hell, if you insist on finding out your partner's name before letting him put his dick in you, especially during Beltaine, you're considered a freak."

"Why is that? And what's Beltaine?" Lexi asked.

"You need to understand that the fae are children of the Earth," Bekah began to explain. "They were created by the planet itself to act as protectors of life, to nurture it and defend it against all those who would try to harm it. They were created from the very fabric of magic. They are magic and any form of positive magic feeds the Earth."

"It sounds like a fairy story for kids," Lexi said with a small snort.

"It's actually true," Elena confirmed. "The planet is alive. It's not just a rock. It's a living being that we can communicate with and She created us many hundreds of thousands of years ago, when an insidious darkness came from beyond the stars and threatened the budding life that She was trying to nurture. Mother Earth was unable to fight against it because her role is that of a nurturer. She creates life and does not destroy it, so we were created. A race of warriors and healers to help protect that which she nurtured and to help her heal. And so we fought against the darkness for the better part of a hundred thousand years until we beat it and its creatures back. Mother Earth created the shadow realm where we exiled them, sealing them in, so they would never be able to hurt her or another planet again. Or so the history books say," Elena said with a grin.

"Why didn't she just use earthquakes and hurricanes and volcanoes to destroy this darkness," Lexi asked.

"Because those are natural occurrences and not weapons. Their purpose is not destructive but to help the planet grow and evolve. Earthquakes and volcanoes, for example, create new, fertile land, allowing that which has become dead to be recycled, in a way. Storms, hurricanes and tornadoes are meant to feed the land, help it change and grow. They take seeds and plants, carrying them from one corner to the other. Of course, that's not to say she doesn't have the capacity to destroy what she has nurtured," Elena explained.

Lexi listened in complete fascination. "But what about vampires? We are an abomination," she whispered.

Elena just smiled, her eyes closing. "You're actually very wrong. You are simply another side of the coin. Just as Mother Earth is light, she is also dark. And pure vampires, like our lovely Bekah here, were created to protect and help the fae. You see, when we were first created, we were creatures of light, drawing our power from the sun. At night, we were weak and the darkness came close to destroying us. So, vampires were created. Strong, predatory creatures with an inherent sense of loyalty. They were the darkness to our light and together, nothing could defeat us. In fact, in the old days, the strongest warriors, those who actually beat back the shadow demons, were couples where a vampire had mated with a fae. Even today, when a vampire mates with a fae it is cause for great celebration because together they are practically invincible and another obstacle to the shadow demons trying to take over. Unfortunately, it is quite rare nowadays because few vampires remember their history and have no idea of what their true purpose is," Elena said sadly.

Lexi just looked at her as if she was mad. "Elena, we have to drink blood to survive. Our hearts do not beat. Our bloodlust is so strong that we can go insane and kill without thought or remorse. How can you say we are natural? We cannot be born. Humans have to die with our blood in their system for a vampire to arise," Lexi insisted.

"Allow me," Bekah said, when Elena opened her mouth. The fae nodded to her friend with a smile and sat back to listen. "When vampires were first created, they were designed to be the ultimate predator. The fae, while being extraordinarily powerful, were creatures of light. During the day they could hunt down the shadow demons and were extraordinary warriors but the enemy was stronger at night, more cunning and ruthless than Mother Earth could have ever anticipated. So, she created vampires, a race that was meant to live in symbiosis with the fae. We would need fae blood to live while our blood would make the fae stronger, improve their powers and remove their weakness during the night. That way, no one creature would be all powerful but together, vampires and fae were more than powerful enough to stand against the darkness."

"So, what happened? How come we have forgotten all of this?"

"After the war ended and the shadow demons were locked away in their own realm, we all began to forget. With no enemy to fight, we slowly began to squabble amongst ourselves. After all, no creature is perfect, we all have our own darkness within us and some are strong enough to keep it at bay but others were not. Some vampires and fae believed that they had the right to rule humans, because they were so much more powerful. They felt they shouldn't be stuck in a different realm while the humans got to roam free. So, they moved here and then discovered that vampires could turn humans into what they were so they dreamed of becoming all powerful and creating armies to destroy those who opposed them. The problem was that they never passed down their true legacy to the creatures they created. These vampires never knew that they were actually meant to feed on fae blood, that they could have children with a fae partner or that their real purpose was to protect and not destroy. Your bloodlust and uncontrollable need to kill is simply because you're feeding on human blood instead of what you should really be eating. It's like a tiger trying to live on lettuce," Elena explained.

Lexi burst out laughing at the image. "Yeah, I can see how a tiger would devour lettuce," she said with skepticism.

"Well, I'm sorry. I couldn't come up with a better example," Elena said with a laugh. "Okay, a tiger trying to live on mice because it doesn't know that a deer will provide it with more of what it needs. Eventually, the hunger drives it insane and it will devour hundreds, thousands of the little creatures in the need to tamp down that hunger."

Lexi nodded. "So, basically, if we drink fae blood we don't go feral?" she asked.

"Yes, essentially. And it also makes you a lot stronger, an equal to your fae partner."

"This is absolutely fascinating. So, you're basically saying that we aren't evil?"

Elena scoffed. "Please! Don't be ridiculous. Of course not. Do you think the fae would have let you live if you were?"

"But then how come you haven't told us what we really are? Why do you allow so many vampires to kill?"

"At first, we took in as many turned humans as we could, managing to hunt down and destroy those who would see themselves as rulers of humanity. Unfortunately, there were forces working against us from within, and by time we realized what was happening, it was too late. The Veil between the Shadow Realm and Lamarthil had begun to weaken and in the thousands of years the demons had been locked away they had grown strong, their only goal to destroy the planet and get their revenge on those who had locked them away. Pretty soon, we simply didn't have the manpower to fight on two fronts. So, it was decided that the shadow demons posed a greater threat than any turned humans ever could. We were forced to abandon our search and redirect all our resources towards keeping the shadow demons from taking over Lamarthil and then the earth," Elena explained.

"But vampires were here, killing people," Lexi exclaimed.

"How many people have you killed?" Elena asked. Lexi paled. "You don't need to worry. You are what you are, a predator by nature. I will not judge. I certainly have no right to. Now be honest."

"A few hundred I think," Lexi whispered. "My maker never told me that I didn't have to kill humans to survive. I found that out on my own much later."

"So, a few hundred in over three and a half centuries?" Lexi nodded.

"Besides the fact that there are plenty of humans who have killed more people than that, if one shadow demon got loose, it would be able to kill that many people in one night. So, who's the greater threat? Especially considering that they don't evolve and learn like you. They have no compassion. Their one purpose, their single desire, their only instinct and drive is to kill, to destroy."

Lexi stared at her in stunned horror, comprehension dawning. "Just one of those things could do that?" she whispered.

"Yes. And that's not the worst of it. The slime-ball things you saw? Those are the killers. The other one that came through with it also kills but it also reanimates flesh, turning the dead into something like zombies. These zombies eventually become the slime-balls."

"So, one group like that could create an army of hundreds in a night?" Lexi practically squawked.

"Pretty much. So, you see why we're so desperate to keep them away from the mortal world?" Lexi nodded. "The only upside is that they can only reanimate humans. When a fae or vampire or other supernatural creature dies, that's it. The shadow demon magic doesn't seem to work on us. I think it's nullified in some way because we are creatures born of magic. I shudder to think how powerful one of those slime-balls would be if it was created from a vampire or a fae," Elena said frowning.

"But now that there are so many of these things breaking through, why haven't you recruited any of the vampires who are unaware of what they really are, like me or Stefan or Damon? You have mentioned you are outnumbered," Lexi said curiously.

Bekah rolled her eyes. "It's not for lack of trying, that I can guarantee," she said with a snarl.

"They don't want to join you?" Lexi asked in surprise. "I find that hard to believe when most of us would give anything to know we were part of something greater. To know that we aren't just killers and we have a true purpose."

"I wish that were the reason," Elena said softly.

At Lexi's inquisitive look, Bekah answered. "You know those powers working against the fae from within? Well, we strongly suspect they are allied with the shadow demons and the fae have been forbidden to recruit vampires. We think it's because they are afraid we'd become too powerful and the demons wouldn't stand a chance against an army of fae and vampires. They just send us all out like cannon fodder, instead," Bekah said in disgust.

"But why the ruse? If they have the power to tell you what to do, why don't they just let the demons through. Why the charade of fighting a war?" Lexi asked.

"Because they need to bide their time. Most of the fae don't realize what's really going on, but if they were told to stop fighting, then whoever's behind this would have a revolt on their hands. They don't want to reveal themselves until the shadow demons have enough of a foothold that a fae revolt wouldn't matter," Elena explained sadly.

"So, why don't you just take these traitors out?"

"Because we don't know who they all are, for one, and secondly, because most of the fae don't believe some of our people could turn against us. Yes, we are that arrogant and I'm afraid this arrogance will eventually destroy us and allow the shadow demons through."

"So, what are you going to do?" Lexi asked. "As far as I can tell, if you do nothing, we'll still end up with the shadow demons coming through."

"We have to convince the fae that those they believe in are actually working against them. And we are a stubborn lot so it's not going to be easy."

"I'm guessing you have a plan?" Lexi asked.

"Yes, she does. And it sucks balls big time," Bekah grumbled as she glared at Elena.

"Why?"

"Because…" Bekah began.

"There's no point talking about it now. Let's first make sure we take out that machine so we can slow the shadow demons down. Then, we can talk about it," Elena said interrupting her.

"Elena, she has a right to know what you plan to do," Bekah said to her friend.

"What for? It won't change anything."

"What about Damon then? Aren't you going to tell him?" Bekah snapped, annoyed with the fae.

"What's the use? Again, it won't change what needs to be done."

"You can be such a stubborn bitch sometimes," Bekah growled. Elena just smiled and poked her tongue out at her friend. She knew Beks hated what she was going to have to do but there was no way around it. Her people had to wake up and this was the only way.

"What's going on? And why do I have a bad feeling none of us are going to like it, especially Damon?" Lexi asked, sensing something was really, really wrong.

"It doesn't matter. Lena's right. Nothing will change because she's as pig-headed as the rest of the flying twats," she spat out.

"Why thank you, darling," Elena said with a grin. "So, now back to more pleasant topics. I don't want to ruin the afternoon completely. The girl asked about Beltaine," she reminded Bekah whose face changed immediately. It was as if the sun had risen and her eyes twinkled merrily.

"Oooh, Beltaine. You are going to love it," she said to Lexi. "So, I was telling you about the fae being children of magic. Well, any form of magic, other than that dark shit the demons use, feeds the Earth and all life, making it stronger, healthier," Bekah explained.

"And there's no better food for our darling planet than sex magic," Elena said with a grin. Lexi's mouth dropped open. "Yup. That's why the fae are such sexual creatures. And vampires too. It's pretty much hardwired into us."

"So, what does Beltaine have to do with it?"

"Well, Beltaine is a celebration welcoming the summer. It is a harvest festival for the humans but for the fae it is a time when we allow our magic to go free and feed the earth, to ensure a good harvest."

"What Elena is trying to say is that it's a massive supernatural piss-up and orgy," Bekah said with a giggle and Lexi couldn't help the smile that curled her lips. "Yup, the fae do this little ceremony thing, which I swear is just an excuse for them to ply us with that damn amazing drink they make and then the party starts. And it's really funny because you've got all these creatures, from vampires, werewolves and fae to Brownies and pixies all acting like a bunch of idiots. I swear, you haven't lived until you've seen a bunch of drunk fae," Bekah said laughing.

"Why?"

"Well, let's just say things get kinda crazy. I remember last year, we all woke up and thought we'd ended up in the Twilight Zone because the grass was purple with bright yellow spots, the guys all had blue hair and all the werewolves were mooing," Bekah said laughing. Lexi couldn't help but grin at the image.

"Oh, but what about five years ago, when we were in Scotland," Elena reminded Bekah.

"Oh God, that was fucking hilarious," Bekah said, laughing so hard tears sprang to her eyes. "They still take the piss out of Nik and Mason when they seem them."

"They'll never live it down," Elena said, laughing just as hard.

"What happened?"

"Well, I told you that it turns into a massive orgy, right?" Lexi nodded at Bekah. "Elena and I aren't really comfortable getting it on with any of the fae we don't know, so we stick to Mason, Nik, Trey and Daryn. Trey and Daryn are two of the hottest male fae you'll ever see. Drool-inspiring, hot ass men," Bekah said, her eyes twinkling in delight. "They're close friends and we often fight together. Anyway, moving on. So, we're all high on that fae honey wine and two morons decide that they want Elena and me. Well, our boys aren't going to have any of that, so Trey and Daryn get up, ready to battle and then Mason and Nik shift," Bekah explained and both girls started laughing, remembering the image. "What none of us realized was that a couple of pixies who had been hitting on Mason and Nik got pissed at them because the boys refused their advances so they cast a small spell on them," Bekah continued, gasping. "And when they shifted, instead of mean-ass wolves, they changed into…" she gasped, "into…" she fell over laughing and couldn't continue.

"Come on! Tell me, into what?"

"Long-haired hamsters!" Elena managed to get out. Lexi stared dumbfounded at first and then roared with laughter. "I swear," Elena gasped, "I have never seen anything so funny. Nik and Mason trying to look menacing as hamsters!"

"Oh my God!" Lexi cried out, wiping the tears of laughter away. "I wish I could have seen that."

"Trust me, they'll never forget it. Trey and Daryn still call Mason Squeaky. It's hilarious," Bekah said with a laugh.

"It sounds like you have a lot of fun," Lexi said, wondering if there was any chance she'd get an invitation.

"Of course you're invited, silly woman," Elena said with a grin. Lexi just stared in surprise.

"No, she can't actually read your mind. She can just hear your thoughts if they're loud enough. You probably really want to come, right?"

Lexi nodded, suddenly very embarrassed. "Ahem, darling, trust me. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. And Elena's Beltaine celebrations are legendary. Half the supernatural world would give a body part for an invitation and the other half just grumbles quietly in envy, hating those who are invited," Bekah said with a laugh.

"Now, I really can't wait," Lexi said with a grin. "When is it?"

"May 1st," Bekah answered with a knowing grin.

"But that's next week!" Lexi exclaimed.

"Yup," Elena said, popping the p with relish. "And this is going to be the Beltaine to top them all."

"How come?" Lexi asked curiously.

"Because she's stupid and thinks sacrificing herself is the only way to save us," Bekah grumbled, her face dark, all signs of good humor disappearing in a moment.

"Sacrificing herself? What do you mean?" Lexi asked, suddenly worried.

"It's not important," Elena tried to avoid the conversation.

"Like hell it's not," Bekah growled.

"Uhm, yeah. I have to agree with her. You dying seems to be extremely important to me!" Lexi exclaimed.

"I'm not going to die," Elena said, rolling her eyes. "Beks is being melodramatic."

"Yeah, then let's ask Damon what he thinks," Bekah asked sweetly.

"Why would he care?" Elena said with a small shrug.

"Uhm, because he's like totally hot for you and stares at you like you're the last woman on earth," Bekah replied as if it should be obvious.

"Please," Elena snorted. "We just have really great sex, that's all. He's still probably hung up on Katherine and I don't need the complication."

"Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better," Bekah muttered, the look on her face clearly showing how deluded she thought her friend was.

"I think Damon's been over Katherine since the day he met you, if it helps," Lexi said softly.

"That's why he lived with her for two and a half years?" Bekah replied with a snort, even though she sort of agreed with Lexi. At least about Damon being over Katherine. The when was still debatable.

"Damon is…" Lexi hesitated. "He's different. Always has been. He comes off as this ruthless asshole. And don't get me wrong, he can be a bastard. Shit, he scares _me_ sometimes and I'm twice as old as he is. But he's got this other side, one he hides from everyone. The side of him that is desperate to be loved. His mother died giving birth to Stefan and their father hated Damon and never hesitated to let him know exactly how much every day since he was five," she said sadly.

"What the fuck was wrong with the guy?" Bekah snarled, angry that someone would treat a child like that. Elena was simply staring at Lexi, trying hard to keep her rage under control.

"He was a first-rate jackass, that's what. I sometimes think he suspected Damon wasn't his son and that's why he hated him so much. Stefan always came first and Damon was told every day of his life that he was pathetic and useless and would never amount to anything. Hell, his father drilled it into him that he was unworthy of love, that he didn't deserve it. He even sent him off to war, probably hoping he'd get killed."

"This is the only time in my life I've ever wanted to bring someone back to life just to torture them and kill them again," Elena growled.

"I'll help," Bekah said, determination in her eyes. No one had the right to treat their offspring like that. Children should be cherished, loved and protected. The fact that she thought Damon was a great guy and certainly didn't deserve such treatment was beside the point.

Lexi laughed softly. "Trust me, if I thought it could be done, I would have already done it," she said, a glimmer of the predator she was shining through.

"Who said it can't be done?" Elena asked with a cold smile. Lexi looked at her in surprise.

"Anyway, then Katherine came along and Damon fell in love with her," Lexi hurried on with the story, a chill running down her spine at the look on Elena's face. "But Katherine is…"

"Trust me, I know the conniving, manipulative bitch better than I want to," Elena interrupted her.

"Then you can guess what happened. She seduced both Stefan and Damon, without them knowing about each other. She told Damon she loved him and wanted him to spend eternity with her. But she turned them both. It seems, though, that their father knew about vampires and tried to kill Katherine. Damon jumped in to protect her and his father killed him for getting in the way. Stefan went berserk seeing Damon dead and went for their father, only he was still human and young so he ended up with a bullet in his gut. Of course, Katherine hadn't stuck around and they ended up turning alone," Lexi continued.

"You know, I've said over and over that we should have killed that bitch when she screwed with my brothers," Bekah snarled. Lexi looked at her in surprise.

"I wanted to rip her head off but Nik stopped me," Elena said, shaking her head.

"I know sweetie. He can be so damned blind sometimes," Bekah shook her head.

"What happened?"

"Basically, they got katherined," she said with a humorless laugh. "She played them against each other until she practically ruined their relationship and then walked off with a laugh when she found someone more powerful to seduce," Bekah said with a shrug. "Nik and Elijah are barely on speaking terms and it's been two hundred years."

Lexi shook her head. "Someone should really put that bitch down," she growled. "It wasn't enough that she got Damon and Stefan killed. A few decades later, she walked back into their lives, picking up where she left off. She was fucking both of them, declaring her undying love. Damon asked her to marry him after a while and she basically laughed in his face, telling him that she never really loved him. That he was just a good fuck and that she really loved Stefan. Unfortunately for her, Stefan heard the conversation and realized what she had been doing. He told her to sling her hook because he'd never love someone who was so heartless. To be honest, I think he did love her, but he couldn't stand the thought of hurting Damon," Lexi said sadly.

"So, what happened next?" Bekah asked, wanting to know the rest of the story.

"Katherine, being Katherine, couldn't stand the thought that Stefan didn't want her anymore and saw Damon as the reason for it. So she tried to stake him, repeatedly."

"And he forgave her?" Bekah asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, I know. The guy is seriously blind when it comes to a woman he loves. Fuck, he waited a century and a half for her, never giving up hope. He tried to become like her but when the pain of her rejection got too great, he'd switch it all off and go on a rampage," Lexi shook her head sadly.

"As if that wasn't enough," she continued her story, "Stefan felt guilty as hell and couldn't stand to see Damon hurting, so he switched his emotions off as well. The result wasn't pretty. That's how I met them, actually. They were eating their way through a small town I was living in and I got my hands on them and basically beat the facts of life into them until they came around. Of course, Katherine wasn't happy so to make sure Damon never got over her, she'd make an appearance every once in a while and completely derail him. Every time she came back, she'd seduce him back into bed and leave a few days later, laughing at him, telling him that he was an idiot to believe anyone could ever love him."

Elena snarled. "When I find that bitch, she had better run as fast as she fucking can. She's lucky we've got other issues to deal with or I'd gladly spend the next hundred years torturing her."

"Count me in," Bekah said, just as angry as Elena. Lexi looked at the two women in surprise, though she knew they meant every word.

"I know he cares about you Elena. Probably much more than he realizes," Lexi said softly. "I'm just worried Katherine will put in another appearance and start the cycle all over again."

"Lex, as much as it hurts to say this, until he really gets over her, there's nothing anyone can do. He's the one who has to let go or he'll never be free. I can't force him to stop loving her. Yes, I can kill her. But will that really help? He'll spend eternity pining over her and he'll never be free," Elena said sadly.

"The guys have finished and they're coming over so I suggest we change the subject," Bekah said quickly. "So, what are we doing about Dredger?" she asked.

Lexi and Elena looked up. When they saw the men approach, they took Bekah's lead while Elena allowed the glamor to drop.

"I'll give him a call tomorrow and tell him we'll take the job," she said. "We can't seem too eager."

Bekah nodded. "And then we'll give him the show of his life," she said with a small grin.

"Don't forget we have to find out where that damn machine is and how to turn it off," Elena reminded her.

"I know, which means we're going to have to search the house," Bekah replied. Just then, Nik dropped to the ground next to Lexi, lay down and promptly put his head in her lap with a grin. Lexi stared at him in surprise but he just continued grinning.

"Ignore him. He thinks he's God's gift to women," Bekah said with a snort and the girls laughed. Damon sauntered over and sat behind Elena with a groan.

"I haven't had to fight that hard in forever. Everything hurts," he complained. Elena wiggled her bottom, moving across the grass until Damon's legs bracketed her own and he was holding her in the shelter of his arms, his chin leaning on her shoulder. A small shudder ran through her at the sensation of his naked chest against her back.

Klaus snorted. "Weakling," he said, goading Damon.

"Old fart," Damon replied.

"I'll show you old fart, little boy," Klaus growled, though he didn't move a muscle.

"You'd actually have to move your ass, oh hairy one," Damon sniggered at him.

"You do know I can bite you and you'd die an agonizingly painful death," Klaus rumbled.

"It would beat getting rabies from you," the cocky vampire snorted.

"Rabies?" Klaus snapped. "Fuck that, I wouldn't bite you just in case your stupidity is catching."

"Says the dickhead," Damon replied.

"Boys, enough!" Bekah exclaimed as Mason and Stefan walked up and fell to the floor, both looking a little more than winded.

"What's up with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?" Mason asked. Elena tried. She really did. She tried so hard but in the end she burst out laughing.

"Priceless," she said.

"You going to let him talk to me like that, woman?" Damon asked, sounding affronted. When she looked up at him, though, he was grinning at her.

"He's got a point," Klaus said. "What about you, sexy? You gonna let furry-ass over there talk to me like that?" he asked looking up at Lexi. She just rolled her eyes.

"It might do you some good. Your ego is already fatter than your head," she replied with a straight face. Klaus' mouth fell open and Bekah started laughing.

"Oh, I like you," she said to Lexi.

"What can I say? Mason has a point. You two are acting like kids," Lexi replied.

Klaus and Damon harrumphed at the same time, sending the girls into more peals of laughter.

"Damon, I think we need to teach our women why they should never laugh at their men. What do you think?" Klaus asked with a wicked grin.

"I absolutely agree. Such disdain should not go unpunished," he drawled. Elena looked back at him, eyes widening at the wicked look in his eyes.

"And since when are we your women?" Lexi and Elena both snapped.

"Since we said so," Klaus replied smugly.

"What he said," Damon added his words of wisdom.

"Really?" Elena asked sweetly. "So, what would the great ones have their women do so that we might be forgiven?"

"Well, we could start with a massage. And a foot rub wouldn't hurt," Klaus answered, oblivious to the storm that was brewing.

"Mmmm, sounds like a plan. And maybe get us some blood while you're at it," Damon continued.

Feminine eyes narrowed and connected, communicating in that unique way all women have when they want to beat the crap out of their men.

"Of course, darling," Lexi cooed.

"Anything for my man," Elena added. They both stood and smiled. "We'll be right back."

"Uh-oh," Bekah whispered but she found herself being dragged backwards by the two women. "Alright, alright. I'm coming," she said with a small huff.

Mason and Stefan looked at each other curiously. They had spotted the exchange between the women and were waiting to see what was going to happen.

"Man, am I glad I kept my mouth shut," Mason said to Stefan.

"I have to agree with you on that one," Stefan said with a chuckle.

"Why?" Klaus asked and Damon nodded.

"You two can seriously not be that stupid," Stefan said with a laugh.

"Huh? What did we do?" Damon asked.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," Mason said with a grin, as he got more comfortable, waiting for the fallout.

Fifteen minutes later, when the women still hadn't appeared, Damon started to frown. "I think we'd better see what's keeping them," he said.

"Nah, they're fine. They'll be right back," Klaus said confidently but Damon looked at him skeptically. Another fifteen minutes went by, during which Damon fidgeted incessantly, and there was still no sign of them.

"So, you two had enough of playing around? Cuz I'd seriously be thinking about groveling right about now," Mason said, snickering. Damon watched Klaus suddenly sit up, his frown not doing anything to make Damon feel any better. Since when did he follow other people's lead? Especially when it came to women? Oh yeah, since he'd never had a relationship with a woman who actually wanted him. Still, he had a suspicious feeling that maybe Klaus wasn't the one whose advice he should be following.

"They wouldn't have. Would they?" Klaus asked, apprehension on his face.

"Ya think?" Mason deadpanned.

"But I wasn't that bad," Klaus whined.

"In whose opinion?" Mason asked.

"Could someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Damon growled, feeling like an idiot. And that was a feeling he didn't appreciate. One that lead to him getting angry and when he was pissed, throats got ripped out.

"Elena and Bekah have a unique way of acting out," Klaus said, hesitating.

"Especially when the men in their lives put their feet in their mouths, which is why some of us have learnt to shut up," Mason said with a smug grin.

"Okay, so what exactly is this unique way of acting out?" Damon asked, dreading the answer.

"Well, they kind of tend to like to prove their independence. So they kind of go on a bender…" Mason explained.

"Exactly what do you mean by a bender?"

"They sort of go out partying," Klaus said. That didn't sound too bad, Damon thought.

"So what's the problem? Girls going out for a drink is actually normal, you know," Damon said with a snort.

Klaus started laughing. "Ahem, you haven't seen a fae and a pure vampire drunk together. And they don't go partying down to the local pub. They have the habit of disappearing to Vegas," he mumbled the last word.

"Vegas!" Damon exclaimed. He got to his feet and was in the house in moments. He searched it from top to bottom but there was no sign of the women. He did find a note, though, on the kitchen table.

_Darlings,_

_Unfortunately, there was no blood left and, like good little women, we were going to get some more for our "men". But then we accidentally found a bottle of honey wine and then Lexi mentioned her recent trip to Vegas and we realized that we really don't want to be the little women of the house. So, we've gone out. Don't wait up, boys!_

_Elena, Bekah and Lexi_

Damon stared at the note, shaking in anger. Klaus was dead meat. He was going to rip his throat out, roast him on a spit, alive, and then feed him to the werewolf. His girl was in Vegas! Alone!

"They're not here," Damon growled at Klaus. "But they left a note." Damon was pissed. No, that was putting it mildly. He was beyond fucking pissed. His girlfriend was alone in Vegas and he sure as shit knew what happened in Vegas! "They said something about Vegas and honey wine. What the hell is honey wine?"

"Crap!" Klaus exclaimed. "It's a fae drink. Think alcohol to the power of ten. It's also got a bit of an aphrodisiac in it…"

"A bit?" Mason exclaimed. "That shit is like fucking liquid lust! Last time I had a sip, I would have happily screwed a tree."

"If I remember right, you did the nasty with a couple of pixies, didn't you?" Klaus asked.

Mason blushed. "Yeah, well, they might be small but they be some lusty wenches," he said with a chuckle. Damon was looking at them as if they were insane.

"So, you're telling me that our women," he stressed 'our', trying to get through to Klaus who seemed to have the hots for Lexi, "are high on honey wine and in Vegas, right?" Damon couldn't get to Elena before she did something stupid, like touch another man. The thought made him growl. But Klaus had to have a way to get to her. And he'd use anyone and anything to get to Elena.

"Something like that," Mason replied. Klaus suddenly surged to his feet, his face a thunderous black cloud.

"We're going to get them!" he snarled, his face shifting, black veins spreading out from his eyes, fangs descending.

"Oooh, check it out. Nikky boy is pissed," Mason said with a laugh.

Stefan just sat back and laughed. However, in his heart, he was happy. Ecstatic, in fact. Damon was clearly over Katherine and for once, it seemed he had actually fallen for the right girl. Elena obviously cared for his brother but didn't hesitate to put him in his place when it was needed. It was exactly what Damon needed. And it didn't hurt that she could literally smack the crap out of the bitch if she ever got up to her old tricks again. He remembered the scene with Elena towering over a quaking Katherine fondly. He only wished he'd been able to record it so he could play it back over and over again.

He tried hard not to grin, especially at seeing Klaus so annoyed. Who'd have ever thought that their arch enemy from once upon a time was actually a great guy. And he was into Lexi, which was good. Very good. She needed someone strong to stand beside her, just as Damon needed someone strong to stand beside him. Suddenly, Stefan felt lonely. He only hoped that one day, he could find someone who would love him and he could love in return.

"Shut up, Mason," Klaus growled.

"Anyway, we can't actually get to them, can we? It will take all night, even if we're lucky enough to catch a flight out of here. They'll be back here before we even land," Mason said.

"Yeah, but I've got connections," Klaus snorted as he pulled his phone out and dialed a number. "Hey, Jer? Hey. Look, I really need a favor. You think you could drop in and give me a lift?" Klaus paused. "Yeah, Elena's off on a bender." A second later Jer was in the clearing with them.

"What the hell did you do now?" Jer snapped.

"I didn't do anything!" Klaus exclaimed.

"Mason?" Jer asked.

"Hey Jer. Uhm, well, they were acting all macho and sort of declared that the girls were their women," Mason said with a grin.

"Great!" Jer rolled his eyes. "I swear, Nik. This is the last time I bail your ass out," he growled.

"How can this kid help us?" Damon asked, being his usual snarky self, mainly because it seemed that everyone knew Elena better than he did. What the hell was wrong with him? Shit, he was even jealous of the air that touched her, let alone another fae who knew her so well.

Jer whirled on him and growled. "Just because you're banging my sister, don't presume to know us," he snapped.

"Your sister?" Damon croaked.

"Duh. What did you think? Hell no!" Jer exclaimed, realizing what the vampire was thinking. "No way! She is my sister. That's just gross. Disgusting vampire," he spat.

"Jer, leave it alone. So, can you find her and can you get us to her?" Klaus asked.

"You know I can or you wouldn't have called me. Come on, you lot. Let's go," Jer said. "But if you fuck up again, you're on your own. Got it?"

"Got it," Klaus said. Moments later they were in the lobby of a hotel in Vegas. Time to find their women and take them home, whether they liked it or not.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry folks but this is not an update. I'm sure you'd like to kill me but I really need to get this message out there. I have to thank a very special person but unfortunately said person has disabled her PMs so I can't do it in private.**

**This is for AshlynJ. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me see the light. I now finally understand what a pathetic loser I am and that it is beyond time for me to grow up. You were right in everything you said and I now understand that I need to leave this fantasy world I'm living in and get a real life, maybe even with an adult job. All I have to do now is convince my doctors that I'm no longer a threat to society. For some reason they all insist that I'm a pathological liar and a schizophrenic homicidal maniac just because I don't really see what the problem is with poisoning a person when they refuse to do what you want them to. *shrug***

**But I have to thank you so much because you are the only person who has ever gotten through to me and made me want to live a better life. I've told all my doctors about you and even my cell mate thinks you're amazing. She actually mentioned the other day that it was amazing that there are people out there who still care so much and who want to help others so much. And I agree with her. I mean to know that I'm such an important part of your life that you would take the time to show me the errors of my ways through the reviews you leave on my stories just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.**

**So, from this day forth, I shall strive to change and the first step is to stop living in a fantasy world. Therefore, I will not be updating any of my stories anymore and I shall never lay another word to paper again. I realize that I must have appeared so pathetic and foolish thinking I was a writer when I'm only a worm who is so desperate for attention I'll do anything to get it. I mean I was so desperate to get my ego stroked that I hacked into the site so I could delete all the negative reviews on my stories. (The nerve of the people who own the site not to allow authors to delete bad reviews – it's outrageous, don't you think?) My reaction might seem a bit extreme but my doctors were actually pleased with my progress because they still think dismemberment is not the right way to deal with negativity and criticism.**

**And I now understand that all the people who were leaving me positive reviews, claiming to enjoy my stories and providing moral support are all as deluded as I am and they need just as much help as I do. This might be a bit forward of me, but do you think you could spare a little more time to help them as well?**

**But AshlynJ, you have truly made me see the light and I can never thank you enough for how caring and understanding you've been to me. And you'll never know how much I appreciate the fact that you found me and dedicated so much time and effort to helping me grow.**

**And now I must go, it's time for lights out and they'll be locking the cells. If I'm not in bed on time, I'll have to spend the next week in solitary confinement but I just had to let you know what an impact you've had on my life. Thank you again.**


	9. Chapter 9

_An hour earlier…_

"The nerve. The sheer ego and nerve!" Elena sputtered as soon as they entered the house.

"I know!" Lexi exclaimed. "Fucking vampires. They don't seem to evolve. No matter how long they've lived, they still think like the morons of the era they were born in."

"Agh!" Elena exclaimed in aggravation. "I swear, the only reason I haven't kicked Damon in the balls is because he can do amazing things with that cock of his," she snarled. How dare he treat her like some helpless little woman?

"Don't you two think you're kinda overreacting?" Bekah tried to intervene.

"So says the woman who hasn't been reduced to house wife," snapped Elena. "I'd love to see what you'd say if Mason demanded a foot rub and a massage because you were his little woman!"

"I'd cut his balls off," Bekah snarled.

"See?" Lexi exclaimed.

Elena cared for him, deeply, but she wasn't letting any man, vampire, fae or any other species, treat her like she didn't have a brain. He needed to be taught a lesson.

"I think we need to teach _our _men a lesson," Elena said with a wicked smile.

"What did you have in mind?" Lexi asked.

"Let me guess," Bekah answered for Elena. "Honey wine and Vegas."

"Oh, you know me so well," Elena said with a laugh. At Lexi's inquisitive look, Elena began to explain. "Honey wine is a fae drink that is very powerful. It's like alcohol to the power of ten. And a bit of an aphrodisiac as well," she said with a grin.

"You want to teach Damon a lesson by sleeping with someone else?" Lexi asked, her face a mask of horror.

"Certainly not!" Elena exclaimed. There was no man she wanted in her bed other than the one she loved. "He'll just think I want to," she said with a small snigger.

Lexi's eyebrows rose. "Are you really prepared to hurt Damon like this?" she asked softly. "He'll never trust you again. It will kill him."

Elena looked at her and smiled softly. "Damon doesn't love me, Lexi. He's just using me to scratch an itch. Until he decides he wants Katherine back, though, I will stand by him. I'll be there for him. But I won't let him use me and treat me like dirt," she said.

"You're wrong, Elena. He's not just using you. He may not know it, but he loves you," Lexi said.

"Then what better way to make him realize the depth of his feelings for Elena than to see her with another man," Bekah said with a grin.

"I don't know…" Lexi trailed off.

"Come on, Lexi. He's got his head stuck so far up his ass when it comes to Katherine that he needs a swift kick to the rear to see the truth. What better way is there to realize that you love someone than to think you're on the verge of losing them? Maybe Damon just needs a slight push in the right direction," Bekah said.

"I'm still not sure…" Lexi said.

"For goodness sakes!" Elena exclaimed. "I don't plan on doing anything! I'm just going to drink and at the most dance with another guy," she said with a wicked grin. "Maybe a peck or two won't hurt either." At Lexi's cocked eyebrow she snorted. "You can't tell me you wouldn't love for Nik to go all caveman for you."

"Ugh. You're impossible. But I have to admit, there's just something so hot about a jealous alpha male," she said with a giggle.

"And the post-jealous episode sex is fucking amazing! They want to make sure you get the idea you belong to them. Fucking hell, it's so hot! Let's go now!" Elena said virtually panting at the thought of an angry, jealous Damon having his way with her. She so loved to tempt fate but she was a woman who liked to live dangerously.

"What about the wine?" Bekah asked. "Not all of us have a man on our tail."

"Riiiiight! Like I haven't seen the way you and Mason eye each other up," Elena said with a cocked eyebrow.

"Come on, Lena. All he sees is Nik little sister. That's all I am to him," she said with a small pout. Elena held her hand out and a bottle appeared. She removed the cork and took a long swig, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She handed the bottle to Bekah, who took a healthy swallow herself. Lexi eyed the bottle curiously, shrugged and drank deeply.

"Then, I think it's about time we show him how blind he's been, wouldn't you say?" Elena asked with a wicked smile.

"I agree," Lexi said with a small hiccup, the honey wine already loosening her inhibitions and freeing her tongue.

"I definitely agree," Bekah said with a wide smile. "Now hand over that bottle," she said to Elena who was in the process of taking another gulp of wine.

Ten minutes and one empty bottle of honey wine later, the girls were giggling and planning their revenge.

"I say the Rio," Lexi said with a long sigh, when they were trying to decide exactly where in Sin City they should start the party.

"That sigh doesn't make it sound so good," Bekah pointed out. "And right now I'm really horny from that damn wine so this better be good because if I don't get Mason into bed soon, I'm going to attack you Elena."

"Anytime babe, you know that," Elena said with a wink.

"You two sleep together?" Lexi asked in shock.

"Of course," both women answered at the same time.

"But, uh, what about Damon and you know…" Lexi trailed off.

"I'm sure Damon would love to watch," Bekah said with a giggle.

"Or even join in," Elena said with a wide grin.

Lexi snorted. "You two have sex on the brain."

"And you don't?" they both looked at her stunned.

"Maybe," she said with a grin. They all laughed.

"So, why the Rio?" Elena asked.

"One word," Lexi replied. "Chippendales."

Bekah squealed and Elena just grinned. "Perfect," she purred. "So, ladies, shall we?" she asked, holding out her hands.

"We can't go like this," Bekah said, horrified.

"Mmmm, you're right," Elena replied. She waved a hand, mumbled something and all of them were sporting more appropriate attire. Elena was wearing a pair of leather hot pants and a leather corset over a see-through black shirt with flowing sleeves. Bekah wore a form-fitting dress in dark blue, while Lexi wore denim shorts, knee-high boots and a tank top with an off-the-shoulder shirt on top. "Better?" she asked.

"Perfect," Bekah said and Lexi nodded with a grin. They both grasped Elena's hands and in seconds they appeared in Vegas, in the lobby of the Rio hotel.

"Why here?" Bekah asked.

"You said Chippendales," Elena said with a grin. "Let's get tickets."

At the counter, the woman was staring strangely at Elena. "Three for Chippendales, please," Elena said.

The woman suddenly gasped. "You're Elena Gilbert from Supernatural Storm!" she practically squealed, making Elena cringe.

"Uhm, no, sorry. You've got me confused," she said, not too happy about having everyone in the immediate area realizing who she was.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman apologized but didn't look convinced.

"Okay," Elena said, turning to her friends. "We've got an hour before they open the doors. What do you want to do?"

"Booze!" both Lexi and Bekah said.

Elena laughed. "Then let's get started ladies," she said with a grin.

* * *

><p>An hour later, they were handing their tickets to the doorman, who grinned down at them. The guy was huge, Elena thought as she bent her head back to smile at him.<p>

"Are you in the show?" she purred.

"No, ma'am, I just let pretty ladies like yourself in," he said.

"Oooh, I like him," Bekah purred.

"You like everyone," Lexi said with a chuckle. "But I have to admit that chocolate skin looks absolutely delectable," she agreed after eyeing the doorman.

"I would have really liked to see you in the show," Bekah said with a flirty smile. The doorman was close to choking, his tongue practically hanging out at all the attention he was receiving from the three women.

Elena put her hand behind her back and a few hundred dollar bills appeared in her hand. She pressed them into the doorman's hand and winked at him. "Put that towards the engagement ring and tell your lady she's a very luck girl," she said with a small wink. The man looked in his hand and back at her, his mouth agape.

"But why…? How…?" he stammered, stunned.

"She's special," Bekah said with a conspiratorial wink. "Now, we're going in for a drink, so move your ass Lena."

"Yes ma'am," she said with a salute. "She's such a slave driver," she said to the doorman over her shoulder, rolling her eyes. The man laughed.

"You are something else. Thank you. I hope you have an awesome time ladies and you come visit us again soon," he said with a grin.

Bekah popped her head back out. "Too bad you're taken or I would have been back like a shot," she said, smiling and then disappeared inside the bar again.

They finally made it inside and waited at the bar to be served. There were at least another thirty women waiting to be served, so they knew a little patience was in order.

Moments later, the bartender stood in front of them, asking them what they wanted to drink. "Three neat single malts, please," Elena said with a small smile.

"Any particular brand?" the bartender asked.

"18 year old Glenlivet, if you have it," Elena said.

"Ah, a lady with discerning tastes. Right away ma'am," he said as he turned away to pour their drinks. The other bartender rushed over to him and whispered something in his ear. The guy turned to throw them a curious glance and whispered something back to his friend.

He returned with their drinks and smile at them. Elena handed him a hundred dollar bill. He cleared his throat. "Ladies, I'm sorry to bother you but my friend and I have a bet. He's certain you're Elena Gilbert from Supernatural Storm and I told him he's crazy because Ms. Gilbert would never put in an appearance anywhere without an army of bodyguards," he said.

Elena was just about to deny the claim that she was who they thought she was when Bekah elbowed her in the ribs, silencing her for a moment. "I'm sorry, sweet cheeks, but you are going to be losing that bet," she said with a grin.

The man gasped and his friend was practically jumping up and down. "Can I have an autograph? Please?" he begged and Elena rolled her eyes at Bekah.

"I'm going to kill you," she hissed at her friend but she held her hands out for the pen and paper.

"Hey, remember, uber hot guys in there and I'd really like some male attention right about now," she hissed back.

"And you would have gotten it without having to use my name," Elena snapped back.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't be as much fun," Bekah snickered.

"She has a point," Lexi giggled in agreement.

"Great, I'm out with the lazy man-eating twins," Elena grumbled as she handed the man back the signed piece of paper.

* * *

><p>An hour and a half later, the girls returned to the bar to enjoy another drink. The show had just finished and they were all giddy with excitement.<p>

"God, I'm horny," Lexi exclaimed.

"Me too," Elena said with a chuckle. "It's the honey wine."

"Yeah, and the hot male flesh on show helped to fan the flames," Bekah snorted.

"They were hot," Elena agreed. "But Damon's still hotter," she declared as she took another gulp of her scotch.

"Sap," Bekah huffed. Elena just shrugged and laughed.

"Yeah, but I get hot sex all the time," she snorted.

"Bitch," Bekah replied good-naturedly. "So, why did you offer to sing for them after the show if you don't like them, then?"

"As a courtesy, dweeb. They performed for us. And very well I might add. It only seemed right to return the favor when they could enjoy it, not while they're working," Elena replied with a small shrug. "And I thought you wanted attention. What better way to get it?"

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Bekah cooed as she leaned in and kissed Elena on the lips.

"Can we join in?" they heard a man ask. The girls turned to see two of the men from the show grinning at them.

"Maybe," Bekah purred. "Depends how nice you are."

"We can be very, very nice," they said with a grin. Just then another man with long blond hair approached.

"Would you two shut up? I'm sorry Ms. Gilbert," he said.

"Please, call me Elena. And it's not a problem. It's all in good fun," she said with a grin.

"I'm Kevin," he replied. "So, was that offer to sing for us real? We all love your music and would be honored to hear you sing live."

"I never say anything I don't mean."

"Well, there's a club upstairs, and I'm sure they'll have everything you need."

"Perfect," Elena said with a grin. Going to a club was exactly what they had in mind anyway. This way, they'd be killing two birds with one stone.

"I'll get everything organized then and we'll meet upstairs," he said with a small smile.

"You're going to sing for us?" one of the two guys who had approached the earlier asked. He had short brown hair, hazel eyes and was built like a line-backer. The other one had black hair and blue eyes, reminding Elena of Damon.

"I am," she said with a smile.

"Fucking hell! Wait till the guys hear that Elena Gilbert is going to be singing for _us_!" he exclaimed. Elena laughed.

"See you upstairs boys," she said with a wave.

"Man, she is so fucking hot!" she heard them say behind her. "They all are!"

"Lena, you totally rock!" Bekah squealed in excitement.

"Come on, woman. I have a show to put on," Elena said, rolling her eyes and pulling the other two behind her.

A short time later, they were sipping scotch and dancing to the booming music in the club. They had only had a few moments on their own before a bunch of guys, who all looked quite familiar from earlier, surrounded them, grinning.

"Ladies, may we?" one of them asked.

"Please," Bekah purred with a small wink. Elena threw her head back and laughed. Suddenly, the music stopped and there was silence for a moment in the club until the crowd started to boo.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down. We have an awesome surprise for you and we'll think you'll forgive us for the change in music. Tonight, we have a very special guest in the house and she's agreed to sing a few songs for us. So, please, put your hands together for Elena Gilbert from Supernatural Storm!" the announcer exclaimed.

Everyone in the club started cheering and clapping as Elena made her way to where the announcer stood. He handed her the mike apologetically. "I'm sorry, but we don't have a stage," he said.

"No worries," she replied easily. "I can sing without one, you know," she winked.

He laughed. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I'm sure everyone here would love to be able to see you as well."

Elena nodded as she looked around. Her eyes fell on the bar on the other side of the room and she winked at the man acting as MC. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," she said into the mike. "Unfortunately, I'm a tad short, which might make it hard for some to see what I'm doing. Now, I don't think I'm all that fascinating to look at but our gracious MC has assured me that you all want to watch me, though I have no idea why."

The crowd laughed but exclamations of "we want to see you!" "Elena, don't hide!" and "let us see you!" rang out.

"I guess he was right. Well then, I'm thinking that the bar is perfectly appropriate," she said with a grin. "Now, if you would be kind enough to clear a path for me to the bar that would be lovely." And the crowd parted like the Red Sea in front of her. She eyed the bar, judging distance and height, hoping the honey wine hadn't completely screwed with her coordination. She broke out into a gentle run, did a one-handed summersault and vaulted up so she landed on her feet, on the bar.

The crowd cheered and clapped. "Not bad if I say so myself," she said with a grin. "So, I'll be doing a couple of songs tonight, specially dedicated to my friends from the Chippendales." Loud cheers went up and the men in question slipped through the crowd until they were standing in front of her, with Bekah and Lexi between them.

"Any special requests boys?" she asked.

"I Get Off!" the guy with the black hair and blue eyes shouted and the others nodded and clapped.

"I Get Off it is," she said. "DJ, play that funky music," she said with a grin.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, in the lobby…<em>

"Where the hell are they?" Damon growled. "We've been searching for hours and no sign of them." He was so fucking pissed he was bordering on homicidal. Where the fuck was Elena? How could she possibly disappear like this? Jer had assured them she was in the building, but it was a huge fucking building.

"How am I supposed to know? It's not like I'm a bloodhound," Klaus snapped.

"I swear, I'm putting a lojack in that woman's ass," Damon grumbled.

Mason and Stefan just grinned at the two of them. Suddenly, Stefan perked up a little.

"Shut up, you two," he said to Klaus and Damon who were still arguing. "Shut the hell up!" he roared when they took no notice of him. When they finally quieted, he listened intently.

"I think she's upstairs," Stefan said.

"How'd you know?" Damon questioned him.

"Cuz she's singing," Stefan said with a small shrug.

Moments later, Damon was striding purposefully into Voodoo, the club at the top of the Rio, his eyes searching for Elena. The sight that greeted his eyes caused an instant shift, his fangs dropping, his blood red eyes promising retribution to the fucking asshole who dared touch his woman!

Klaus elbowed him in the ribs, hard. "We're in public, you dick," he hissed. Damon came back to himself and his features returned to normal.

"I'm going to kill him," Damon snarled. And then he was going to wrap her in a sheet because she was showing off way too much in those fucking shorts that had given him the hard-on of all hard-ons.

Elena was standing on the bar with a dark haired guy, singing. And she was actually singing to the fucktard!

_I can't feel my senses_

_I just feel the cold_

_All colors seem to fade away_

_I can't reach my soul_

_I would stop running, if I knew there was a chance_

_It tears me apart to sacrifice it all but I'm forced to let go_

She sounded damn amazing but he didn't know how much longer he could take it. When the idiot wrapped his arms around her midriff, pulling her back against him, Damon had had enough.

"I'm going to fucking kill him," he snarled and stalked towards the bar, the other men close on his heels. They pushed through the crowd, growling at anyone who wouldn't move out of their way.

_Tell me I'm frozen but what can I do?_

_Can't tell the reasons I did it for you_

_When lies turn into truth I sacrificed for you_

_You say that I'm frozen but what can I do?_

When they reached the bar, Damon heard two loud snarls accompany his own. He glanced over to Klaus who had grabbed hold of Lexi and was snarling at some guys who looked too disgustingly good to be allowed to live. Mason was imitating Klaus' actions with Bekah. Now, he just had to rip this asshole away from his woman and then teach them both a lesson.

_I can feel your sorrow_

_You won't forgive me,_

_but I know you'll be all right_

_It tears me apart that you will never know but I have to let go_

Just then Elena looked down and noticed him, her eyes widening. Her lips curled in a sultry smile and she winked at him. She fucking winked at him while some piece of shit was holding her! He jumped onto the bar in one smooth move and stalked up to the guy.

"Hey, man, get the…" the idiot was trying to hiss at him. The fucker had a death wish.

"Get your hands off my woman before I rip your arms out of your sockets and beat you with the bloody stumps," Damon growled, flashing a bit of fang to make sure the idiot got the message. Apparently, he did because his hands came away from Elena instantly and he backed up until he fell off the edge of the bar. Damon looked at him in satisfaction. The only reason he wasn't dead was because Elena's body had been stiff as a board.

He slipped behind Elena, who was still singing and pulled her against him and was pleased to feel her soften, her body molding to his.

_Tell me I'm frozen but what can I do?_

_Can't tell the reasons I did it for you_

_When lies turn into truth I sacrificed for you_

_You say that I'm frozen but what can I do?_

"Are you trying to get someone killed?" he whispered in her ear. She didn't react as she continued to sing.

_Everything will slip away_

_Shattered pieces will remain_

_When memories fade into emptiness_

_Only time will tell its tale_

_If it all has been in vain_

_I can't feel my senses_

_I just feel the cold_

_Frozen..._

_But what can I do?_

_Frozen..._

_Tell me I'm frozen but what can I do?_

_Can't tell the reasons I did it for you_

_When lies turn into truth I sacrificed for you_

_You say that I'm frozen, frozen..._

Once the song was over, Damon let her go as she bowed to the crowd who was delirious.

"Thanks ladies and gentlemen. And thanks for a great show, boys," she said with a grin. "Give it up for the Chippendales." Women screamed in delight and clapped, while the men just grumbled.

Damon jumped off the bar and grabbed Elena by the waist, pulling her off the bar and putting her down. As soon as her feet touched the floor, he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the bathroom. He pushed her inside and locked the door behind them, knowing they were alone because of the lack of heartbeats.

"What the fuck was that, Elena?" he growled at her, his ice blue eyes flashing angrily.

"What was what?" she snapped, annoyed at being manhandled but also secretly aroused by it.

"The fucking disappearing act, the rubbing up against some fucking asshole, the…"

"What the hell is your problem? I was having a bit of fun," she snarled, interrupting him.

"With another fucking guy? Did you want me to rip his arms off for touching you? Is that what you want? You want me to go feral and kill every-fucking-one here?" he snarled back as he started to close the distance between them.

Elena was breathing hard and started to back up. _Fuck, he's so hot when he's angry_. "Why would you care? It's not like we made any commitment to each other," she said with a shrug. She really liked living on the edge, she thought as her back hit the wall and he caged her in.

"What?" he snarled in her face. "Why would I care? No fucking commitment? So, you just want to go and fuck some other asshole because I haven't married you yet?"

"Oh please. I'm fae, we don't do marriage!" she snapped. "And I can fuck who I like! Maybe I'm just tired of your cock and need something fresh!"

Damon's eyes narrowed. "Tired of my cock? Is that so?" he thundered.

"Yeah, it fucking is!" she snarled at him. "So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find someone else to play with." She shoved him, throwing him almost clear across the room, yanked the door open and stomped out of the bathroom.

Damon was seething, ready to kill anyone who even looked at him funny. She actually dropped him! So, he had only been a good fuck after all. Fucking typical. He was such a jackass to think they had something special. Katherine had been right after all. No one would ever love him.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Then he noticed a scent he had been too angry to sense earlier. His lips curled into a rather sinister smile. She wanted him. She had been aroused when they had been arguing but he had been too far gone to nice.

He wrenched the door open and stalked out of the bathroom, looking for her. She hadn't made it far.

A moment later, Damon pounced on her, pushing her up against the wall, pressing his erection against her ass. "Is this the cock you're tired of?"

"Yes," Elena answered, her voice husky. The smell of her arousal became even stronger and Damon groaned.

"What a lying little bitch you are," he snarled into her ear, making Elena shiver all over again. Yeah, she was lying. So fucking what! She was pissed at him, at herself, at everything. She was angry because she knew this was a mistake. She shouldn't want more from him. She should just let him be. It was only supposed to be about the sex. When the hell had she allowed herself to break her own rules and fall for him? And why was she so fucking selfish all of a sudden that she needed to know she meant more to him? _Because at least you'll have the memories to keep you going, _a soft voice whispered in her mind, which she chose to ignore.

"Think what you like," she replied with a snort. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to dance." She turned and began to push past him when he grabbed her hands and slammed her against the wall a little harder this time. When her back made contact with the wall, it actually cracked.

"You aren't fucking going in there," Damon hissed, a very vivid memory of what Elena and Bekah could do together on the dance floor. The thought of them finding someone else to take his place, the thought of Elena's fangs in another guy's neck, of her hand around another guy's cock woke something primal and feral inside him. It wasn't like the fury or jealousy he had felt before. No, this was magnified by at least a thousand. He knew that he was close to snapping and if she didn't want a fucking massacre on her hands then she'd better get them out of there.

"Get us out of here, now!" he hissed at her, blind rage choking him.

"Fuck off," Elena snapped. "I want to dance. I'm here for fun, not to babysit you!"

"Elena, listen to me and shut up. Get us the fuck out of here or I'm going to start ripping people's throats out," he snarled, gritting his teeth and trying to get control of himself.

Elena looked at him and realized something was wrong. He looked almost blinded by rage and fury, his nostrils flaring, fangs out and bared, veins spidering out and retreating around his eyes as if he was trying to control the change but couldn't. So, she grabbed his hand and ported them back to the Salvatore boarding house, right into the living room. No way was she going near his bedroom.

She let go of his arm and turned to hiss at him. "What the fuck is wrong with you Damon?"

"Nothing is wrong with me," he snarled back at her.

"Oh, really? Then why did I suddenly have to get you out of there because you wanted to kill everyone?"

"Because of you and your sudden desire to fucking dance," he snapped. Elena blinked at him in surprise.

"You're telling me that you wanted to kill people because I wanted to dance? Are you fucking INSANE?" she shouted at him, letting go of him like she'd been burned.

"I know how you fucking dance and if you think you're sinking your fangs into another guy or shoving your hand down his pants," he said, lips curled back in a snarl, hands fisting, teeth gritting, "you are damned delusional!"

Elena screeched in annoyance. "You think I do that with just anyone? You know what? Why the hell am I standing her arguing with you? I could be in Vegas, having a grand time. So, you know what? Fuck you and good night," but before Elena could port out of there, Damon had latched onto her hand. Now, she couldn't leave without him. She hissed her displeasure at him. He pulled her hard until she stumbled into him, body pressed against his from top to bottom.

"You even fucking look at another guy and I'll rip his intestines out, strangle him with them and drain every last drop of blood in his body," he snarled at her. He bent over slightly, inhaling her intoxicating scent.

"Why do you care who I'm with, Damon?" Elena asked, goading him, pushing him, needing to hear that he at least cared about her more than just a good fuck.

"Why the hell do you think woman?"

"I don't know. I need you to tell me," she hissed at him.

"Because you're fucking mine and I'm never letting you go," he growled into her ear, making her shudder. It was the first time in her life that Elena was actually turned on by the possessive tone. If any other guy had tried what Damon was doing, he'd have been a soprano by now. But with Damon, it was a turn-on.

Elena looked up at him. Would she ever be able to tell him just how much she loved him? She shrugged imperceptibly. Maybe, some day. Who knew? His eyes flicked over her face and his lips came crashing down onto hers, his tongue demanding entry. She gave in with a soft moan, tangling her hands in his shirt, pulling him closer to her.

His kiss was brutal, bruising and punishing and it drove her out of her mind as he used his tongue, his hands, his entire body to dominate her. Damon was angry. She had forced him into saying something he wasn't yet willing to admit to himself let alone say out loud.

He was doing his best to keep his beast under control, but it wasn't having any of it. He wrenched himself away from her, jumping practically to the other side of the room, in an effort to hide this side of himself from her. He didn't want her to see the monster and watch as her features twisted in disgust. His back turned to her, he was taking deep breaths as he tried to reign in the monster, his jaw clenched, his hands fisting by his sides, his shoulders hunched.

"What the hell Damon?" Elena snapped in annoyance. She was damned horny and she wanted him desperately. "What are you doing all the way over there?"

When Damon refused to respond, Elena started to get even more annoyed. She started to stalk over towards him only to pause when he snarled. "Elena, don't. Give me a minute."

She just huffed and drew closer. One of these days he'd have to understand that he couldn't frighten her. She only hoped she had enough time to beat it into his head that she liked this dark and dangerous side of him. "Don't you want me anymore?" she asked, a taunting edge to her words. "If I'm boring you, I can always leave…"

"Elena…" he snapped her name with a warning growl.

Elena took no notice and continued to bait him, wanting him to lose control, to take her like he really meant it. She had the sudden urge to test her mate, to see if he was worthy of her, to have him dominate her and prove he could stand beside her. _Where the hell are these thoughts coming from?_

Regardless of the alarm bells going off in her head, telling her she was getting in too deep, she still pressed on. "It's okay. I don't mind. I'm sure one of those cute humans from the Chippendales wouldn't mind taking care of my … _needs_."

Damon felt his humanity drain out of him as the vampire took full control, jealousy, rage and lust beating at him until he had no choice but to let go. He whirled on her, surprising her so she jumped back. But the stupid woman didn't realize what she was doing because she just grinned wickedly at him. "Those boys are really hot, don't you think?" she continued to prod and Damon roared in anger, so loud the house shook with his rage.

"_Mine!_" was all he was capable of growling as he rushed her and threw her over his shoulder. When she didn't struggle, his beast mollified a little but not enough for him to get it under control. The urge to punish, to brand, to fuck and to erase any other man from her thoughts was the only thing driving him at the moment.

He threw open the door to the basement and stalked down the dark steps and into the Salvatore dungeon. He threw her down on the makeshift bed. "Don't move!" he growled at her. Elena just grinned and jumped to her feet, moving as fast he did and was almost out the door before he grabbed her with another roar of anger. He grabbed hold of her tightly and in moments had her shackled to the wall, certain the chains would hold. _She isn't fucking going anywhere_!

Elena's breathing was labored and she was so turned on she was certain she was about to spontaneously combust. Who knew he had it in him? This dark, dominant side that he clearly had tried to hide from her. She reveled in it, wanting more of his beast, more of him… _just more_!

Damon stood back and growled again, running purely on instinct. He took a sniff of the air and roared in anger again. He could smell another male on her and it was driving his bloodlust into a frenzy, making him want to kill. He drew his fist back and let it fly, his demon reveling in the crack of brick and the smell of his own blood as his hand lodged itself almost to his wrist in the wall next to Elena's head.

Elena nearly passed out with need. His display of strength made something insider her purr with pride and with desire. Her pussy was creaming and throbbing with need. The need to have Damon's cock buried so deep inside her, slamming into her hard and fast, showing her he was a real alpha male. She whimpered in need but Damon just snarled at her, which only served to inflame her even more. One more snarl, and she would come, she just knew it. Damn, she had let the beast loose and she had never been happier in her life.

Damon pulled his hand free, his desire to kill abating for the moment. He looked down at her and growled again, his bloody hand coming up to hook in the corset she wore, tearing it off her. In moments, her offending clothing that not only revealed too much to other males' eyes but was also covered in another male's scent, had been thrown out the door and Elena stood naked before him.

He studied every inch of her, running his face and neck along her skin. He then sniffed every inch of her to make sure she carried no one's scent but his and her own. A pleased rumble came from his chest when the beast could no longer sense another's mark on her.

"Are you going to punish me Damon?" he heard her ask softly. His eyes flew up and locked with her gaze and the sultry look she gave him almost brought his beast to its knees.

"Yes," he snarled. "I'm going to teach you that this," he continued as he cupped her mound roughly, drawing a pleased moan from Elena, who was desperate for any form of contact, "and this," as his fingers tweaked her nipple harshly, "and every last bit of you is mine. No one else gets to fucking touch you and if you _ever_ do that again I'm going to fucking lock you up in here for eternity."

Elena was panting at his rough treatment of her and his possessiveness was making her head spin. Her own beast, which she kept tightly leashed and had never revealed to anyone, was purring in satisfaction. _Perfect mate. Strong. Worthy. So good!_ It repeated in her head and she agreed completely.

Damon grabbed hold of her, turning her around roughly so that her back was to him, her arms crossed as the long chains held her securely. "I'm going to brand every inch of you," he growled in her ear and Elena shivered as his hands clamped on to her ass, hoping he meant what she thought he did. She pushed her ass backwards, rubbing it against him.

"Yes, please," she whimpered. Damon's wicked laugh made her skin tingle and her weeping pussy contract, desperate for some form of stimulation. He was going to kill her with need!

"But first, I'm going to spank that ass so you remember exactly what happens when you step out of line," he hissed at her and Elena felt her knees go weak. She shivered with need and a little apprehension, the slight twinge of fear only exciting her even more.

He grabbed her hips with one hand, while the other planted itself on her back, pushing her forward so that she was bent over, her ass sticking out. He used his foot to widen her stance and Elena took a deep breath, curling her hands around the chains, holding on for dear life.

The first slap was on her left cheek, the loud crack thundering through the room. The initial pain made Elena gasp but when the second slap landed in the same place, the heat and pain began to mingle together and turn into pleasure, as she had known it would. She arched her back and pushed her ass out further.

"You like that, don't you?"

Elena could only nod as another slap landed. Suddenly, Damon's hand was probing between her folds, pinching her clit hard and she screamed. "Fuck, you're soaking," he murmured.

"More, please," Elena gasped out. He drew back and landed another slap on her other cheek, much to Elena's delight. His cool hand smoothed over her hot flesh, making her tremble.

"So pretty and pink," he said softly as he stared at his handiwork. He liked seeing the imprint of his palm on her flesh, declaring her his. "And all mine," he snarled at her as he landed another slap, this time making sure to catch her pussy as well.

"Fuck, I'm coming!" Elena screamed as an orgasm slammed through her body unexpectedly. Damon dropped to his knees and buried his face between her widespread thighs, his teeth latching on to her hard little clit.

Elena screamed again as Damon began to work her clit with his teeth and his tongue, burying three fingers inside her sopping wet pussy, driving her orgasm higher and higher until she thought she'd go insane with the pleasure. He drove into her harder and faster, finding her sweet spot as he sucked and nipped at her clit. She couldn't take it anymore! It was too much, she was going to pass out! There was no way she could possibly feel so much! Her brain was close to exploding, her fangs had lengthened of their own accord and her hands were squeezing the chains so hard she had squashed the metal as if it were nothing more than a tin can.

When Damon finally pulled back, her entire body was quivering and she could barely stand. He leaned over her and snarled as he cupped her mound again, a little gentler this time. "Who does this belong to?" he growled into her ear, leaning over her so his now naked chest lay flush against her back. She trembled at the touch and wondered how the hell it was possible to want him again, mere seconds after the most monumental orgasm she had ever experienced.

"Who does this belong to, you little bitch?" he snarled again, squeezing tighter when she didn't reply right away.

"You. Only you," she breathed out, meaning every word.

"Good," he snapped as he tore his jeans off, his cock weeping precum, wanting to get inside her with a desperation that drove him to insanity. He wanted to cover every inch of her in himself. "Now, I'm going to fuck your ass. I've had your pussy so now I'm going to make sure your ass is mine as well," he ground out.

"Please," she whimpered, wanting him everywhere. Needing him to conquer her, body and soul.

"Please what?" he asked.

Elena pushed her ass back against him, whimpering when he teased her with his cock, just lightly rubbing it between the folds of her pussy. "Please," she moaned again.

Damon gritted his teeth, trying not to slam into her, wanting to prolong the moment, to show her who was in charge. But she was making it so fucking hard! Her smell, her whimpers, the way she rubbed against him made him want to give her what she wanted but the beast snarled inside him, telling him he had to exert dominance this time, to prove his worth as her mate. And the beast was in control, which was why Damon didn't question his impulses or instincts. Yet his cock hurt with need, wanting to feel her slick muscles clamp down on him, needing to feel the exquisite torture of being inside her.

"Please what?" he snarled again. "Tell me what you want, Elena."

Elena growled in annoyance this time but gave in, too desperate to care she was about to beg. Hell, she'd already been begging but now she'd make fucking sure to break Damon's rigid control and make him fuck her until they both exploded. "I want you to take my ass, Damon," she growled. "I want you to take that big cock of yours and fuck me in the ass until you spill inside me and make me yours in every way possible," she finished, panting.

Damon lost it. He fisted a hand in her hair and pulled her against him as he slammed into her pussy, much to Elena's surprise. "You're fucking mine," he snarled. "And don't you fucking forget it." He said as he slammed into her again and again. Elena was screaming and writhing as every cell in her body exploded with sensation. Damon's grip on her was the only thing holding her upright but she didn't care. What he was doing to her was beyond words.

He pulled out of her and Elena whimpered at the loss. He pushed her forward and slid his cock up slightly, resting it against her puckered rosette. She moaned in desperation, needing him inside her. He started to push gently, breaching the tight ring of muscles and Elena groaned, sinking her fingers into the bricks of the wall her hands rested against. She tried to push back against him, to take him inside her hard and fast but Damon wouldn't play along. As she pushed back, he pulled back and she screeched in frustration.

"Damon!"

"We're doing this my way," Damon snarled. When she settled down with a soft mewl, he resumed pushing inside her. It was driving him insane to go so slow, even though his instincts were screaming at him to ram himself inside her, to claim her, a tiny part of him held him back, not wanting to hurt her. So, he continued to push slowly until he was fully lodged inside her, her muscles squeezing his shaft so tightly his eyes almost rolled into the back of his head.

He pulled out slowly, making her feel every inch of his cock and Elena whimpered. Then, he pushed back in, just as slowly, his hands trembling on her hips at the exquisite sensations. "Fuck, you feel so good. You're so tight," he growled.

Elena was going to kill him. If he didn't move and take her already she was going to literally tear him apart. The slight sting of pain of him breaching her back passage mixed with pleasure as nerve endings she'd never used before lit up, making her tremble with agony because she was desperate for more.

She looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes flashing in fury, her own fangs out and menacing. "What did you expect?" she snapped. "You're my first."

_Her first? How the hell? _"You're lying," he snarled.

"Are you a complete moron? Why would I lie about something like that? Now get on with it because I need more," she finished breathlessly.

Damon didn't think he could possibly feel even more possessive of her but he did. There was one part of her that was his alone. A part no other had claimed. He had never thought something like that would matter so much but it made him want to roar with victory.

He drove back into her, trying even harder to go slowly, now knowing it was her first time but she wouldn't have it. She pushed back against him. "Elena," he hissed, "stop it! I only have so much control and I don't want to hurt you."

Elena looked at him again, love for him swelling her heart until she thought it would explode. Even with his beast in control, he still was mindful of her and wanted to take care of her. Unfortunately, at that moment, it wasn't what she needed. What she needed was hard and fast!

"If you won't do it, I'll find someone who will," she snapped at him.

Damon knew what she was doing. His beast knew what she was doing. But logic fled at the mention of another giving her this and he roared angrily, griping her hips tightly as he pulled back and slammed back into her. "Is this what you want?" he snarled angrily.

"Yes!" she screamed, arching her back and pushing back into him as he continued to ram his cock into her ass. The sensations were unbelievable, a dark pleasure that threatened to engulf her and make her lose any semblance of herself.

"You ever let anyone touch you ever again and I will rip them apart," he hissed at her. The thought of another male touching her made him insane with fury. The idea that another would feel the exquisite torture of being inside her, that another would see her pleasure as she writhed beneath him, that another would hear her please for more drove him crazy.

"Never," she breathed out.

"You belong to me," he snarled. His hand burrowed between her thighs and pinched her clit while he bent over, sinking his fangs into her shoulder to keep her still, marking her as his.

"Oh God! Fuck, Damon!" Elena screamed as every cell exploded into a supernova inside her. Her mind shut down as her vision darkened, her body trembling with the onslaught of sensations assaulting her. She had never felt anything like it and when she felt Damon's seed shoot inside her she screamed again as it somehow raised the intensity of her own climax. She was going to die! She couldn't take it anymore!

Damon roared as the tight clamp of her muscles dragged his orgasm from him, no matter how much he had wanted to hold on longer. His balls drew up tight and his vision exploded in a myriad of fireworks as pain and pleasure mingled into the most savage release he had ever experienced, his seed shooting out of his cock so hard and fast he was afraid his shaft would literally explode.

When he came to, he pulled back gently, his cock sliding out of her. He looked down at a trembling Elena and his eyes widened in horror.

"Oh my God, what have I done?" he whimpered as he fell to his knees behind her. Elena's back was covered in blood, from where he had bitten her. Her ass sported his palm prints and her hips were sporting bruises where his fingers had dug in. Her wrists were bloody where she had pulled against the restraints. "I'm so sorry Elena," he cried out. He had fucking raped her! He was a monster, just like Katherine had said!

"What the hell are you talking about?" Elena asked, as she looked at him. Was he mad? She had just had the most intense sex of her life and he was apologizing?

"I raped you. I'm a monster," he hissed as he backed up. She looked at him and realized he wasn't seeing her anymore, his eyes wide, his jaw clenched in despair.

"Damon!" she snapped at him but he was oblivious to anything except his belief he had truly become a monster. "Damon, look at me!" she shouted and his gaze flew to her. "You did not hurt me," she said slowly.

"God, Elena," he moaned, running a hand through his hair. "What have I done?" Damon felt as if he was going out of his mind. He knew he should free Elena but after what he'd done to her, he knew she wouldn't be able to bear his touch. And to be honest, he didn't trust himself near her. What if he snapped again and hurt her even worse.

"Nothing I didn't enjoy," she said calmly, trying to get him to see reason.

"No, no, how could you have enjoyed that?" he asked, hating himself for allowing his dark desires to take control of him. "Look at you. I almost ripped you apart," he ground out. "Katherine was right. I don't deserve to be loved. Hell, I don't deserve to live after what I did to you," he spat out.

Elena had had it. This was ridiculous. He was completely ruining her post-orgasmic bliss and it was seriously pissing her off. She should be cuddled in his arms right now, enjoying the afterglow. But no, he had to go all stupid on her. Fine! She'd show him!

"Damon Salvatore, you are a moron of epic proportions!" she snapped at him as her skin began to glow. In seconds, she was standing before him nary a mark on her and then her spikes snapped out of her forearms, slicing through the manacles. The metal made a loud clank as the manacles and chains dropped to the floor, along with Damon's jaw. When her wings exploded out of her back, stretching out to their full span, Damon gasped and jumped back involuntarily.

Elena snarled at him and his gaze flew to her face, his eyes widening at the blackness of her eyes and those fangs that he had never actually seen properly. She stood proudly before him.

"Look at me, Damon," she growled as she bent over, making Damon's mouth go dry at the sight of her. She picked up a chain in each hand and walked towards him, pulling them out of the wall with seemingly no effort. She just walked and those damn chains came out of the wall like a hot knife through butter. Damon just gaped. "Now do you get it?" she asked. "You didn't do anything to me I didn't want, except for ruining what could have been a perfectly wonderful post-orgasmic cuddle with your stupidity," she snapped.

Damon had the sudden urge to back up and hide in the corner at the glare on her face. She was pissed! At him! Not good, he decided. At the same time, though, the sensation of complete and utter freedom engulfed him. He hadn't hurt her! And she had actually liked it!

"Yes I liked it, you moron!" she snapped as she continued to advance on him. "In fact, it was fucking amazing! Don't you get that I love every side of you, including your darkness? Hell, that's what makes you practically irresistible, you cretin!"

Damon's mouth was practically hanging open. Did she just say what he thought she said? No, he must be hearing things. "What did you just say?" he breathed.

"I said it was amazing! Are you deaf as well as stupid now?"

"Not that. You said you loved me," he said softly.

Elena stopped walking. She hadn't. Had she? Oh crap! She was in deep shit! Her and her big mouth when she was angry! "No I didn't," she denied.

"Yes you did," Damon insisted.

"Did not!" she snapped back.

Damon felt his lips curl into an involuntary smirk, suddenly feeling a hundred feet tall. "You love me!" he exclaimed as he rushed at her and picked her up, twirling her around with a moronic grin on his face.

Elena's legs came up automatically to wrap around his waist and her wings wound around him. She couldn't help it. His joy was infectious and she threw her head back and laughed.

He slowed to a standstill and looked up into her eyes. "You love me?" he questioned softly and the uncertainty and vulnerability on his face melted Elena's heart.

And in the warm cocoon her wings formed around them, hidden from the harsh realities of their lives, Elena gave in. "Yes," she whispered as she looked into those sparkling blue eyes, her fingertips brushing back a lock of his silky raven hair.

"Say it," he demanded.

Elena smiled sadly, knowing that for her it was the beginning of the end. By saying the words aloud, she was handing him her heart and she knew she'd never see it again. But he was worth it. She wanted Damon to see that he could be loved, that he wasn't the monster he thought himself and that he deserved much more than life had given him. She would hurt later and for the rest of eternity but he would never know. She'd make sure of it. And he was worth all the pain and more. This one moment in time was worth it. "I love you with all my heart and soul, Damon Salvatore. You are the love of my life," she finished as she softly kissed him on the lips.

And there, in the warm cocoon of her wings, Damon felt as if he had been reborn. This amazing and exquisite woman loved him! A creature of beauty and light, of legend, a woman who was strong, brave and fierce loved _him_! He fell to his knees, still holding on tightly to her as he began to tremble, looking at her in awe. He would never let her go. Without her, he would be nothing. She brought light and laughter into his life and she accepted him for who he really was.

"Yes, Damon. I love all of you and I never want you to change," she whispered softly. "Promise me that, please. Promise me you will never change," she whispered to him, a tear rolling down her cheek. He leaned in and kissed the tear away.

"I promise," he whispered. "Thank you." _Fuck, what a stupid thing to say! Tell her you love her, dickwad, _his beast insisted. And he wanted to, so badly. But he simple couldn't get the words out. He knew he was a coward but the last woman he had told he loved had scorned him and laughed in his face, even though she had also professed to love him. So, he couldn't get the words out and he had the foreboding feeling he would soon come to regret his cowardice.

Elena's heart sank a little but she kept the smile plastered on her face. He didn't love her in return but it didn't matter. She hoped her love could at least make a small difference in his life. She hoped he would finally understand his own worth. "Shh," she said, placing a finger on his lips. "You don't need to say anything."

Suddenly, she stiffened in his arms and Damon looked at her questioningly. "I have to go," she said, her voice turning cold and menacing.

"What is it?" he asked, tightening his arms around her.

"The rift alarm has gone off and everyone else is still in Vegas," she said quickly. "I need to go now!"

"I'm coming with you," Damon declared. There was no way he'd let her go on her own. She'd get herself killed and that's the one thing that would never happen while he still lived.

"No, you aren't Damon," Elena said.

"Yes, I am. We've had this discussion before. You take me with you and we fight together, or I follow you anyway and it'll be that much harder for both of us," he growled, suddenly irritated that she didn't trust him.

Elena sighed, knowing he was right. It didn't help that she was alone. She had to grudgingly admit she could use the help, especially since she didn't know how many would be coming through this time.

She got to her feet, swiping a hand through the air and suddenly, they were both dressed in their armor, fully armed and ready to fight. "I lock in the shadow demon first, so he can't escape into inhabited areas. Then, we handle the slime balls and I'll take care of the demon last. I need you to keep those disgusting things off me while I bind the shadow demon," she said, going into full battle-mode.

"Got it," Damon said, drawing his swords. After their previous experience with the creatures, he knew guns would be practically ineffectual and he couldn't risk giving them another go when it was just him and Elena up against who knew how many of the Zerg.

Elena grabbed him by the forearm and the dungeon shimmered and shifted, morphing into the clearing where the rift was located. They had arrived just in time as four Zerg and a shadow demon came through the shimmering blue Veil that was the fabric between realms.

Elena didn't hesitate. She stepped forward immediately, raising her hands to cast the spell that would bind the shadow demon. Damon took up position to her right and glared at the slime balls, who were currently eyeing them. When the first one rushed Elena, trying to stop her, Damon was in front of it, slicing into it, letting all the fury come through. How dare this piece of shit attack his woman? His beast snarled, desperate to rip the throat out of the disgusting creature. By time he was finished, he had sliced the thing up into tiny bits.

Damon turned back to look at Elena, who had already drawn her own swords and was charging between two of the slime balls. She gripped her swords backwards, so they ran up her forearms, allowing her to get a good swing at the two creatures that were rushing her. She pumped her legs faster until she was nothing more than a blur. She sliced outwards, on either side, just as she ran between the slime balls, catching both of them in the gut. They screamed in pain but wouldn't give up. They turned and tried to charge her again but at that moment, Damon came sailing through the air, cutting the head off one of the creatures as he flew past. The head fell with a dull thud to the floor as black slime sprayed from the severed neck and the body fell to the floor.

Elena rushed towards the remaining creature and lodged her swords in its gut, slicing upwards so that whatever it had that passed for organs spilled out of its body as its scream rent the air. She took a step back and surveyed the scene. Other than the shadow demon that was spitting and cursing at her, all the creatures lay in a dismembered mess on the soft grass. Elena closed her eyes and held her hands out, allowing the fire to pass through her body and engulf all the body parts of the dead Zerg. She wanted to make sure they stayed down.

Her eyes sought out Damon, who stood tall, grinning and practically vibrating with excitement. She winked at him with a smile. "Thanks cowboy," she said with a grin. "Now, let me take care of this one and then we can get some rest."

She turned to the shadow demon, who was now squealing in outrage. Elena spoke softly and her swords started to glow as she ran at the shadow demon. Once she reached it, she crossed her swords at its neck. She didn't hesitate for a moment. She simply sliced its head off and watched dispassionately as it disintegrated in front of her.

Damon sauntered up to her and pulled her tight against him, kissing her on the lips soundly. "Nice," he said with a grin.

"I can say the same thing of you," she replied with a matching smile. "I have to admit, we make a good team."

"Now that I have to agree with. We make a damn good team," he replied with a cocky smirk.

"You know, nothing gets my blood going more than a good fight. And I just love you in leather. So, how about we go home and I show you exactly how creative I can be with a set of chains?" she purred.

Even with the carnage around them, Damon felt all the blood rush south to his cock, which stood to attention. He groaned. "Woman, you are going to kill me. Let's go, now! Before I spontaneously combust," he said with a grin as he grabbed hold of her hand.

Elena smiled at him and ported them out of there. Neither of them noticed the lone figure standing in the shadows.

Once the couple had disappeared, the figure chuckled. "You were always too soft for your own good, Elena," a voice sounded in the clearing. "And now you've handed me the one thing that will bring you down. You always were a foolish child." The figure laughed, a cold and menacing sound. "Soon, we shall take our rightful place as rulers of mortal men and there will be no one to stand in our way!"


End file.
